Pain and dyspepsia after elective and acute cholecystectomy.
BACKGROUND
Postcholecystectomy pain occurs in 20-30%. The main cause of this pain remains unclear. Whether the underlying gallbladder disease influences the outcome after cholecystectomy is not fully established.


METHODS
A multicenter questionnaire study comparing the occurrence of abdominal pain and dyspepsia 5-10 years after cholecystectomy in 345 (222 women, 123 men) patients cholecystectomized for acute cholecystitis and in a control group of 296 (213 women, 83 men) patients cholecystectomized for uncomplicated symptomatic gallbladder stones.


RESULTS
Of 641 questionnaires, 534 (83%) were completed. Complaints of abdominal pain and dyspepsia were found with similar frequencies in the acute cholecystitis and gallstone groups. Women had abdominal pain more often than men (42% versus 29%) (P = 0.01). Although more than one-third complained of abdominal pain after cholecystectomy, 93% had improved or were cured.


CONCLUSIONS
The outcome after cholecystectomy seems to be independent of the underlying gallbladder disease (acute cholecystitis or elective operations for gallstones).
Middelfart
H V
HV
Dept. of Surgical Gastroenterology, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Kristensen
J U
JU
Laursen
C N
CN
Qvist
N
N
Højgaard
L
L
Funch-Jensen
P
P
Kehlet
H
H
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000601:surgery*; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000209:etiology*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001744:Urinary Bladder Calculi / Q000601:surgery*