CHOLECYSTECTOMY RATES AMONG YOUNG-WOMEN F ROM SOUTH-ORIENTAL SANTIAGO- COMPARISON OF 2 PERIODS

The aim of this study was to know if cholecystectomy rates have decrea sed in young women, condidering that these rates have decreased in the last years in the general chilean population. The frequency of previo us cholecystectomy was compared in 1582 women aged 23.9 +/- 5.8 years admitted to a maternity for delivery between 1985 and 1986 and 4943 wo men aged 24.6 +/- 5.9 years admitted between 1989 and 1990 for the sam e reason. There was a reduction in cholecystectomy frequency from 4.7 to 2.5% specially among women 21 to 35 years old. Cholecystectomy was performed at a mean age of 23 years in both groups and 42.6% of the pr ocedures were done before the first pregnancy. An unexpected finding w as a lower body weight among women studied in the second period (62.5 +/- 9.1 vs 67.7 +/- 8.4 k).