SURVIVAL UNTIL 6 YEARS AFTER CHOLECYSTECTOMY - FEMALE-POPULATION OF DENMARK, 1977-1983

It has been a prevailing assumption that cholecystectomy patients by a nd large follow a pattern of survival Similar to that of the normal po pulation. This paper presents a population-based study of the long-ter m survival after cholecystectomy in order to reassess this assumption. Based on data available in the Danish National Hospital Register the records of all Danish women who were operated between 1977 and 1981,we re examined and studied up to 6 years subsequent to surgery. Cholecyst ectomy patients who were free of diagnosed cancer and who had no major co-surgery (n = 11,123) were compared to both hysterectomy patients a nd a sample of the female population. Adjusting for age and other cova riates, patients with psychiatric hospital admissions prior to surgery experienced a threefold risk of dying within 6 years after surgery. P atients with prior somatic admissions and patient with acute admission s had a relative risk (RR) of about 1.5. Cholecystectomy patients had a significantly increased mortality when compared to hysterectomy pati ents, RR = 1.3 (1.1-1.6), and to the population sample. Heart diseases and cancer occurred significantly more often as causes of death among cholecystectomy patients when compared to hysterectomy patients, but our data suggest that the occurrence of many other causes of death may be increased among cholecystectomy patients as well. The authors conc luded that cholecystectomy patients are subject to relatively higher l evels of mortality than previously assumed in parts of the literature. Furthermore, the increase seems to be attributable to a multitude of causes of death. The most likely explanation of the excess mortality a mong cholecystectomy patients is that gallbladder patients are relativ ely fragile. Indeed, with this vulnerable group of patients the potent ial trauma of the surgical intervention itself needs careful considera tion.