[The so-called postcholecystectomy syndrome after laparoscopic intervention]

Abstract

Preoperative symptoms have been found to persist in up to 30% of patients after open cholecystectomy. No data exists about the influence of laparoscopic cholecystectomy on symptoms. A group of 109 elective patients who had undergone at least 12 months previously laparoscopic cholecystectomy were retrospectively studied. Pre- and postoperative symptoms were compared and patients satisfaction graded from 1 (excellent) to 5 (worst). More than two symptoms were present preoperatively in all patients. Postoperatively 75 patients were absolutely symptomless. 9 patients complained of only one symptom, and 25 patients continued to have two or more symptoms. The mean time to return to full activity did not correlate with the number of postoperative symptoms. Most patients (75) considered the procedure completely successful while only 6 were no better off postoperatively. The incidence of symptoms after laparoscopic and laparotomic cholecystectomy is similar. The patients should be advised that the presence of preoperative symptoms are not necessarily caused by gallstones and that cholecystectomy might be followed by the persistence of symptoms.