SCOLIOSIS SURGERY - A RISK FACTOR FOR CHOLELITHIASIS

Scoliosis surgery has been associated with pancreatitis and acalculous cholecystitis, and also has been implicated as a risk factor for chol elithiasis. A prospective study of 36 children and adolescents undergo ing scoliosis surgery was performed using ultrasound to determine the incidence of cholelithiasis following spine surgery. The patients unde rwent abdominal ultrasound exams preoperatively, immediately postopera tively, and then at intervals following surgery with 2-5-year follow-u p. Four of 36 patients (11.1%) (one male, three female) developed gall stones, although all had been free of gallstones after surgery. The ga llstones appeared between 2 + 5 and 5 years after surgery. Those with gallstones were not different from those without with respect to 14 fa ctors. It is concluded that scoliosis surgery is not a risk factor for gallstones, because of the delay in onset of cholelithiasis after sur gery. Furthermore, the prevalence of gallstones in this study sample i s not greater than that reported in historical control studies of Euro pean young adults.