title: Pain and dyspepsia after elective and acute cholecystectomy.
abstract: 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).
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgical Gastroenterology, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Middelfart
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Laursen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Qvist
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Højgaard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Funch-Jensen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kehlet
mesh_terms: 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*