Prevalence of postcholecystectomy symptoms: Long-term outcome after open versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy

After cholecystectomy a certain number of patients continue to suffer from abdominal symptoms or develop such symptoms postoperatively. The aim of thi s study was to compare the prevalence of postcholecystectomy symptoms with open cholecystectomy during the prelaparoscopic era and those with laparosc opic cholecystectomy 4 years after introduction of the laparoscopic techniq ue. Between July 1988 and June 1989 a total of 163 consecutive patients wit h elective open cholecystectomy and between September 1994 and August 1995 a total of 234 consecutive patients with elective laparoscopic cholecystect omy were prospectively evaluated using a standard questionnaire about preop erative symptoms, diagnostic modalities, and intraoperative findings. After a minimum of 12 months the patients were interviewed by telephone. Since t he introduction of the minimal invasive technique the number of cholecystec tomies performed at our institution increased. There was no significant dif ference in the prevalence of postcholecystectomy symptoms found after the o pen procedure compared with laparoscopic cholecystectomy: 90% of patients a fter open and 94% after laparoscopic cholecystectomy had no or only minor s ymptoms.