SYMPTOMS OF ESOPHAGEAL REFLUX ARE MORE COMMON FOLLOWING LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY THAN IN A CONTROL POPULATION

Previous studies have shown that up to 40 per cent of patients have sy mptoms after cholecystectomy or laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The re are concerns, however, that these symptoms reflect those of the gen eral population and are not a specific post-operative phenomenon, Abdo minal symptoms of 212 patients following LC were compared to a healthy acalculous control population (n=62), Patients and controls were asse ssed by questionnaire. Age and sex profiles were similar in both group s, There was no significant difference in the incidence of abdominal p ain, bloating or nausea between the 2 groups, Frequent heartburn was a symptom in 19.3 per cent of patients following LC as compared to 3.2 per cent of control patients (p=0.004, chi-squared 9.39, 1 d.f.). Furt hermore 11.3 per cent of post-operative patients complained of dysphag ia versus 6.4 per cent of the control group (p=0.08, chi-squared 1.245 , 1 d.f.), One hundred and twenty (57.1 per cent) patients judged thei r operation to be a complete success, while 9 (4.3 per cent) were diss atisfied, Five of the latter group cited frequent heartburn as the cau se of their dissatisfaction. We conclude that abdominal pain, bloating and nausea occur as frequently in the general population as in patien ts following LC, Patients are more likely to suffer from heartburn and dysphagia following LC than a normal population supporting a link bet ween cholecystectomy and lower oesophageal dysfunction.