Study of persistent post laparoscopic cholecystectomy symptoms: a 6 month long follow up of 62 patients

Background: Majority of patient undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gall stone disease is either cured or show improvement in their pre-operative symptoms. However, in few patients these preoperative symptoms may still persist and may continue to bother them even after surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate and manage these patients with persistent post cholecystectomy symptoms.Methods: 62 patients of diagnosed symptomatic cholelithiasis had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy at a tertiary care hospital. They were evaluated with a questionnaire both before and; 3 months and 6 months after surgery. The symptoms present pre-operatively and the symptoms that persisted after laparoscopic cholecystectomy or emergence of any new symptoms were taken into consideration.Results: Out of 62 operated patients, 38 patients (61.3%) were relieved of their symptoms after cholecystectomy on follow up after 3 months whereas 24 patients (38.7%) had persistence of their symptoms. However, at 6 months follow up 16 out of these 24 patients showed improvement of their symptoms. Pain in right hypochondrium and non-specific dyspepsia were the commonest symptoms that were persistent. Thus, in this study 54 (87.1%) patients had complete relief after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and were satisfied with the treatment and in 08 (12.90%) patients the symptoms were not relieved.Conclusions: All the patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy should be evaluated in detail regarding their symptoms, psychiatric illnesses and be investigated thoroughly so as not to miss any other organic cause for their symptoms and should be counseled regarding persistence of their symptoms even after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.