OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of Ultrasonic scalpel versus electrocautery in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) so as to understand how to achieve dissection and closure of cystic artery and duct in a safe and efficient approach.  METHODS: Comparative studies with the subjects of Chinese population were searched till Dec 2014 in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biomedical Database, China Academic Journals Full-Text Database, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, and China Online Journals. The quality of included studies was evaluated by Handbook 5.0.0. Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 5.0. was used to conduct meta-analysis with random effects model.  RESULTS: A total of 8 comparative studies (5 RCT and 3 retrospective comparative studies) were included with 1337 in ultrasonic scalpel group and 867 in electrocautery group. In laparoscopic cholecystectomy, compared with electrocautery, ultrasonic scalpel shows a statistically significant reduction in operation time (weighted mean difference [WMD], -9.38 minutes; 95% confidence interval [CI], (-14.89 to -3.89 minutes) (P = 0.0008); intraoperative blood loss (WMD, -12.41 mL; 95% CI, -18.20 to -6.62 mL) (P <0.0001); length of hospital stay (weighted mean difference [WMD], -1.23 days; 95% CI, (-1.68 to -0.78 days) (P <0.00001); and recovery time of intestine function (weighted mean difference [WMD], -2.96  days; 95% CI, (-5.20 to -0.72 days) (P =0.01). There were also significant differences in intraoperative complication rate (OR=0.23, 95% CI (0.06,0.87), P=0.03) and in postoperative complication rate (OR=0.11, 95% CI (0.02,0.62), P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis clearly demonstrates that compared with electrocautery, ultrasonic scalpel can statistically significant reduce operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, recovery time of intestine function, intraoperative complication rate and postoperative complication rate in LC in Chines population. It evidences that in China, ultrasonic scalpel offers a wide range of clinically relevant advantages and all of these advantages have clear economic impacts in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.