title: [Postcholecystectomy syndrome in children, fact or fiction?]
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The postcholecystectomy syndrome (SPC) is broadly defined and published in adults, whereas in the pediatric population are hardly any articles about it. Up to a third of adults have dyspeptic symptoms without organic cause the first year after cholecystectomy. Our goal is to determine the incidence of SPC in our population.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study was performed, collecting data from patients who had been done laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our hospital since 2005. Patients diagnosed choledochal cyst and biliary atresia were excluded. The following data were collected: type of dyspeptic symptoms, scheduled office visits and emergency units in the first postoperative year and in the following. Children who did not make any visits, a telephone survey was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 36 patients, including 3 patients who were excluded for presenting organic cause, were collected. The most frequent diagnosis was idiopathic cholelithiasis (64,7%). Sixteen children (48,5%) had postoperative symptoms in the first year, of which 14 went to scheduled office visit and 6 emergent (2 required hospitalization). The main symptoms were abdominal postoperative pain (100%), nausea (62,5%) and vomiting (50%). After the first year (6 patients were excluded for less follow-up), only 5 patients (18,5%) continued to symptoms (p= 0,015), 2 required visit to programmatically consultation and no one emergent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our sample, SPC in children exists and improves after the first year. So postoperative follow-up is an important fact, and only further tests must be done if signs of organic cause.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica. Hospital General Universitario de Alicante.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gallego Mellado
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica. Hospital General Universitario de Alicante.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Albertos Mira-Marcelí
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica. Hospital General Universitario de Alicante.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deltell Colomer
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica. Hospital General Universitario de Alicante.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kuan Argüello
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica. Hospital General Universitario de Alicante.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mira Navarro
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica. Hospital General Universitario de Alicante.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzálvez Piñera
mesh_terms: D001656:Biliary Atresia; D002648:Child; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects; D015529:Choledochal Cyst / Q000601:surgery; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017562:Postcholecystectomy Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Children; Dyspepsia; Postcholecystectomy syndrome