title: What symptoms does cholecystectomy cure? Insights from an outcomes measurement project and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increasing application of cholecystectomy has increased the need to assess the effects of cholecystectomy on presenting symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three surgeon-derived and two patient-derived data forms were collected for each patient in a series of 225 laparoscopic cholecystectomies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-two percent of patients had documented gallstones preoperatively, 91% had biliary pain, and 77% had both biliary pain and documented gallstones prior to surgery. Fifteen percent of patients were believed to have acalculous cholecystitis. Eighty-two percent also had bothersome nonpain symptoms (gassiness, bloating, indigestion, fatty-food intolerance, and nausea). The cure rate for biliary colic was 82% if stones were documented preoperatively, and 52% when they were not (P = 0.002). Atypical pain was cured 80% of the time, and nonpain symptoms, 44% of the time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients (82%) with biliary colic and gallstones have complete relief of upper abdominal pain after cholecystectomy. Pain relief in patients felt to have acalculous cholecystitis was only 52%. Nonpain symptoms were common preoperatively (82%) and were relieved in 44% of patients.
authors.affiliation: Office of Value Assessment, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington 98111, USA.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Fenster
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lonborg
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Thirlby
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Traverso
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003085:Colic / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome