Publication:

Evaluation of patients undergoing cholecystectomy with special reference to post-cholecystectomy syndrome

Background Significant percentage of patients remain symptomatic even after the cholecystectomy surgery for gall stone disease. Traditionally, this has been termed Post-Cholecystectomy syndrome which may consist of same symptoms for which cholecystectomy was performed or it may be a new set of symptoms that have developed after cholecystectomy. Aim of this study to find out incidence as well as pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative determinants for the post- cholecystectomy syndrome.

Methods This is the prospective study, done in the Department of Surgery, Dr BSA Medical College and Hospital, New Delhi. Total 102 number of patients were included in this study, out of which 51 patients underwent open and another 51 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Results The mean age of the patients was 40.29±10.69 years with an age range of 19 to 80 years. Incidence rate of post cholecystectomy symptoms were16.66% (n=17).  Incidence of post-cholecystectomy syndrome in patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy were 15.69% (n=8) while in the open cholecystectomy group it was 17.64% (n=9). Out of seventeen symptomatic patients, eight (47.05%) were having the biliary disease while nine patients (52.95%) were having non-biliary cause.

Conclusions As authors studied present symptomatic group of patients thoroughly, it has become clear that the post-cholecystectomy symptoms are multiple and diverse arising from various causes; which in reality has no relation with the removal of gall bladder. Hence the appellation ‘post-cholecystectomy syndrome is inappropriate and instead we have used the term ‘Post-Cholecystectomy Symptoms’ for these patients.