Pain and quality of life in patients with symptomatic, non-complicated gallbladder stones: results of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Cholecystectomy is intended to relieve symptoms of gallstones, but unfortunately some patients will experience postcholecystectomy symptoms, including pain. There is limited information in the literature on gallstone-related pain and its influence on quality of life. The aim of this study was to examine how pain and quality of life in patients with symptomatic, uncomplicated gallbladder stones were affected by observation of their condition compared with removal of the gallbladder. METHODS: One-hundred and thirty-seven patients were randomized to observation (watchful waiting; n = 69) or cholecystectomy (n = 68) and answered questionnaires on pain, quality of life (PGWB index and NHP Part II) at randomization and fixed intervals (6, 12 and 60 months). All gallstone-related events (hospital admission for pain, complications of gallstone disease and cholecystectomy) and crossover between treatment groups were recorded. RESULTS: Of patients randomized to observation, 35 of 69 patients (51%) eventually underwent a cholecystectomy. Significant improvements in quality of life and pain scores were detected regardless of surgical treatment. Patients that subsequently experienced gallstone-related events had significantly higher pain scores at randomization than patients that did not experience any subsequent events, and this difference was maintained throughout follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Unexpectedly, in the majority of patients symptoms did abate without any significant differences between groups in pain and quality of life. Patients that had high intensity and frequency of pain at randomization had a higher risk of experiencing subsequent events.     

The consequences of lost gallstones during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the preferred surgical technique for symptomatic gallstone disease. The technique generally is safe. probably one of the most common intra-operative complications is gallbladder perforation with stones spreading into the peritoneal cavity. In this paper the sequelae of lost gallstones after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and the diagnostic problems facing the clinician are reviewed. Abscesses and fistula formation in the abdominal wall occur. A long delay can be present between the initial operation and the complications of the lost stones. Although rupture of the gallbladder is usually noticed during preparation and retrieval, the surgeon may not be aware of losing stones. due to the long delay, the occurrence of intra-abdominal abscesses and fistula is often not linked to the prior procedure.     

Asymptomatic Cholelithiasis: Is Cholecystectomy Really Needed? A Critical Reappraisal 15 Years After the Introduction of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Asymptomatic cholelithiasis is increasingly diagnosed today, mainly as a result of the widespread use of abdominal ultrasonography for the evaluation of patients for unrelated or vague abdominal complaints. About 10–20% of people in most western countries have gallstones, and among them 50–70% are asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. Asymptomatic gallstone disease has a benign natural course; the progression of asymptomatic to symptomatic disease is relatively low, ranging from 10–25%. The majority of patients rarely develop gallstone-related complications without first having at least one episode of biliary pain (“colic”). In the prelaparoscopy era, (open) cholecystectomy was generally performed for symptomatic disease. The minimally invasive laparoscopic cholecystectomy refueled the discussion about the optimal management of asymptomatic cholelithiasis. Despite some controversy, most authors agree that the vast majority of subjects should be managed by observation alone (expectant management). Selective cholecystectomy is indicated in defined subgroups of subjects, with an increased risk for the development of gallstone-related symptoms and complications. Concomitant cholecystectomy is a reasonable option for good-risk patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis undergoing abdominal surgery for unrelated conditions. Routine cholecystectomy for all subjects with silent gallstones is a too aggressive management option, not indicated for most subjects with asymptomatic cholelithiasis. An in-depth knowledge of the natural history of gallstone disease is required to select the optimal management option for the individual subject with silent gallstones. Management options should be extensively discussed with the patient; he or she should be actively involved in the process of therapeutic decision making.     

Gallensteine

In Germany, 15–20% of individuals develop gallstones, and more than 190,000 cholecystectomies are performed for symptomatic stones annually. Overall, 90% of gallstones are cholesterol stones, which are due to increased hepatic cholesterol secretion and gallbladder hypomotility. Cholesterol hypersecretion is attributed to exogenous risk factors, such as a hypercaloric carbohydrate-rich diet and physical inactivity, as well as to lithogenic genes, such as common gene variants of the hepatic cholesterol transporter ABCG5/G8. Of stone carriers, 1–3% per year develop symptoms (biliary colic), and the rate of complications (cholecystitis, cholangitis, pancreatitis) ranges from 0.1% to 0.3% per year. Today laparoscopic cholecystectomy represents the standard of care for most symptomatic stones with and without complications because it leads to shorter hospital stays and recovery times than open cholecystectomy but has similar complication rates. The recently updated German S3 guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of gallstones recommends preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and stone extraction in cases of simultaneous bile duct and gallbladder stones; if the probability of bile duct stones is moderate, endoscopic ultrasound – or magnetic resonance cholangiography – should precede cholecystectomy.     

Therapy of gallstone disease: What it was, what it is, what it will be

Cholesterol gallstone disease is a common clinical condition influenced by genetic factors,increasing age,female gender,and metabolic factors.Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is currently considered the gold standard in treating patients with symptomatic gallstones,new perspectives regarding medical therapy of cholelithiasis are currently under discussion,also taking into account the pathogenesis of gallstones,the natural history of the disease and the analysis of the overall costs of therapy.A careful selection of patients may lead to successful nonsurgical therapy in symptomatic subjects with a functioning gallbladder harboring small radiolucent stones.The classical oral litholysis by ursodeoxycholic acid has been recently paralleled by new experimental observations,suggesting that cholesterol-lowering agents which inhibit cholesterol synthesis (statins) or intestinal cholesterol absorption (ezetimibe),or drugs acting on specific nuclear receptors involved in cholesterol and bile acid homeostasis,might be proposed as additional approaches for treating cholesterol gallstones.In this review we discuss old,recent and future perspectives on medical treatment of cholesterol cholelithiasis.     

Gallenblasensteinleiden—immer eine Operationsindikation?

There is consensus that symptomatic cholecystolithiasis presents an indication for cholecystectomy. Today the surgical method of choice is the laparoscopic technique, which has proven its superiority in numerous randomized studies. Epidemiologic studies showed that 10-15% of all gallstone patients develop complications so that a prophylactic cholecystectomy is repeatedly being discussed. A few older studies based on conventional cholecystectomies, however, showed no decisive advantage for a prophylactic cholecystectomy, but rather clearly higher costs. Therefore a wait-and-see policy is generally recommended for asymptomatic gallstones. The analysis of our large group of patients showed that acute cholecystitis as well as common bile duct stones occur significantly more often with increasing duration of the gallstone disease. The older the patient, the longer the operation time, the more frequent a conversion, and the higher the morbidity of the procedure. Considering the minor impairment of daily activities with the laparoscopic technique, the present concept of treatment for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cholecystolithiasis needs to be scrutinized.     

A Pediatric Case with Gallstones Treated with Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Abstract: We report herein a case of a 13-year-old Japanese boy with symptomatic cholelithiasis. The patient was admitted to our hospital for investigation of right hypochondrial pain. An abdominal plain X-ray film showed calcifications at the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Ultrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen revealed several stones in the gallbladder. He underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy under a diagnosis of idiopathic and radiopaque gallstones. Twelve calcium bilirubinate stones were found in the gallbladder. Reports of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in children are rare, and only 29 cases of 15 years of age or younger have been reported in Japan. This paper presents an additional case report of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a pediatric patient, body weight 32 kg, with symptomatic and pigment gallstones. We believe that laparoscopic cholecystectomy should be the procedure of choice for removal of the gallbladder even in children.     

Subhepatic abscess as a late complication of missed intraperitoneal gallstone after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice in symptomatic cholelithiasis. Despite its many advantages over the conventional laparotomic approach, accidental perforation of the gallbladder with spilled stones and bile leakage is frequent during this procedure. Complications from missed gallstones are uncommon, although they can sometimes lead to severe consequences. Great effort must be made to achieve laparoscopic retrieval of all the gallstones missed into the peritoneal cavity and conversion to an open procedure should be used only in selected cases. We report a case of subhepatic abscess as a late complication of a missed gallstone during a previous laparoscopic cholecystectomy.     

Reduction of the risk of unretrieved stones during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy entails the risk of gallbladder rupture and consequent loss of stones within the abdominal cavity, which is not an uncommon complication. The development of intraperitoneal abscesses due to the spilled gallstones is one of its major complications. When gallbladder was injured during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, gallbladder was dissected on the medial and lateral side, or from the fundus of the gallbladder in the original position to reduce the spillage of stones. After putting the removed gallbladder into the endoscopic bags, hepatorenal fossa and right subphrenic space was thoroughly examined using retractor and oblique view scope. We performed these procedures in 30 consecutive patients with gallbladder ruptured during operation. Dropped stones were noted in 5 patients and were retrieved successfully. Reduction of stone spillage and the retrieval of spilled stones were essential. It is advisable to retrieve as many gallstones as possible after gallbladder perforation during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.     

Obesity and the risk and prognosis of gallstone disease and pancreatitis

Obesity is a risk factor for the formation of cholesterol gallstones and exposes patients to increased risk of gallstone-related complications and cholecystectomy. Rapid weight loss achieved by very low calorie diets or bariatric surgery is also a risk factor for cholelithiasis in obese patients, and therapy should take into account the higher prevalence of gallstones, the possibility of more frequent complications and the need for prophylactic treatment with oral ursodeoxycholic acid during weight loss. Obesity is also frequent in children and adolescents, and the burden of cholesterol cholelithiasis is increasing in this population. The chance to develop acute pancreatitis and the severity of the disease are higher in obese subjects because of specific pathogenic factors, including supersaturated bile and crystal formation, rapid weight loss, and visceral obesity. All health policies aimed at reducing the incidence of obesity worldwide will decrease the incidence of gallstones and gallstone-related complications. The pathophysiological scenarios and the therapeutic implications for obesity, gallstone disease, and pancreatitis are discussed.     

Prevention or surgical treatment of gallstones in patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery for obesity

Opinion statement It is well known that obesity is a risk for gallstone formation and biliary sludge. Additionally, it has been clearly shown that rapid weight loss following bariatric surgery is a risk factor for cholesterol cholelithiasis. Multiple serious complications from gallstones such as cholecystitis, cholangitis, gallstone pancreatitis, and cholecystenteric fistulae may occur. Thus, it is necessary to employ medical or surgical methods to prevent or treat gallstones in this group. Therapy should be individualized. Although there is a high incidence of gallstones in this group, only a minority of individuals will develop symptomatic disease. When used in patients who are compliant, ursodeoxycholic acid therapy can be effective to prevent gallstone formation during rapid weight loss. The cost effectiveness of routine ursodeoxycholic acid therapy compared with the potential costs of complicated gallstone disease needs to be further investigated. Combined cholecystectomy with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is a safe and appropriate therapeutic option in those with preoperatively known gallstones, biliary sludge, and prior episodes of cholecystitis. However, routine cholecystectomy at the time of gastric bypass surgery is not warranted for all patients because of the increased time of operation and postoperative hospitalization, as well as all the potential complications after cholecystectomy. The approach of routine cholecystectomy in this setting subjects many patients to an unnecessary procedure because the majority will not develop symptoms or complications of gallstones. Furthermore, cholecystectomy is technically easier to perform after weight loss occurs.     

Relation of gallbladder function and Helicobacter pylori infection to gastric mucosa inflammation in patients with symptomatic cholecystolithiasis

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory alterations of the gastric mucosa are commonly caused by Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in patients with symptomatic gallstone disease. However, the additional pathogenetic role of an impaired gallbladder function leading to an increased alkaline duodenogastric reflux is controversially discussed. AIM: To investigate the relation of gallbladder function and Hp infection to gastric mucosa inflammation in patients with symptomatic gallstones prior to cholecystectomy. PATIENTS: Seventy-three patients with symptomatic gallstones were studied by endoscopy and Hp testing. Methods: Gastritis classification was performed according to the updated Sydney System and gallbladder function was determined by total lipid concentration of gallbladder bile collected during mainly laparoscopic cholecystectomy. RESULTS: Fifteen patients revealed no, 39 patients mild, and 19 moderate to marked gastritis. No significant differences for bile salts, phospholipids, cholesterol, or total lipids in gallbladder bile were found between these three groups of patients. However, while only 1 out of 54 (<2%) patients with mild or no gastritis was found histologically positive for Hp, this infection could be detected in 14 (74%) out of 19 patients with moderate to marked gastritis. CONCLUSION: Moderate to marked gastric mucosa inflammation in gallstone patients is mainly caused by Hp infection, whereas gallbladder function is not related to the degree of gastritis. Thus, an increased alkaline duodenogastric reflux in gallstone patients seems to be of limited pathophysiological relevance.     

Management of gallstones and gallbladder disease in patients undergoing gastric bypass

The appropriate management of gallstones and gallbladder disease in patients undergoing gastric bypass remains unknown.Several therapeutic modalities are used and include performing cholecystectomy on all patients at the time of gastric bypass,performing concomitant cholecystectomy only when patients have gallstones and performing cholecystectomy only in the presence of both symptoms and gallstones.Some groups administer ursodeoxycholic acid for gallstone prevention in the postoperative period.All treatment...     

Usefulness of Gallbladder Ejection Fraction Estimation to Predict the Recurrence of Biliary Pain in Patients with Symptomatic Gallstones Who Did Not Undergo Cholecystectomy

This study was performed to evaluate any predictable factors associated with recurrence of biliary pain in symptomatic gallstone patients who did not undergo cholecystectomy because of operative risk, advanced age, and/or their refusal. The relationships among age, gender, body mass index, frequency of biliary pain before diagnosis, period between the last symptom attack and the hospital visit, size and number of gallstones, gallbladder ejection fraction (GBEF), compliance of ursodeoxycholic acid therapy, and recurrence of biliary pain were examined. The recurrence of biliary pain developed in 15 of 31 patients during the median 29-month follow-up. The cumulative 1-, 2-, and 3-year recurrence rates of biliary pain were 22.8, 40.9, and 53.0% and significantly associated with abnormal GBEF (hazard ratio, 3.12; 95% CI, 1.10-8.87; P = 0.032). In symptomatic gallstone patients with abnormal GBEF, cholecystectomy is strongly advisable because of the high risk of repeated pain attacks.     

Cholesterol cholelithiasis in pregnant women: pathogenesis,prevention and treatment

Epidemiological and clinical studies have found that gallstone prevalence is twice as high in women as in men at all ages in every population studied. Hormonal changes occurring during pregnancy put women at higher risk. The incidence rates of biliary sludge (a precursor to gallstones) and gallstones are up to 30 and 12%, respectively, during pregnancy and postpartum, and 1-3% of pregnant women undergo cholecystectomy due to clinical symptoms or complications within the first year postpartum. Increased estrogen levels during pregnancy induce significant metabolic changes in the hepatobiliary system, including the formation of cholesterol-supersaturated bile and sluggish gallbladder motility, two factors enhancing cholelithogenesis. The therapeutic approaches are conservative during pregnancy because of the controversial frequency of biliary disorders. In the majority of pregnant women, biliary sludge and gallstones tend to dissolve spontaneously after parturition. In some situations, however, the conditions persist and require costly therapeutic interventions. When necessary, invasive procedures such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy are relatively well tolerated, preferably during the second trimester of pregnancy or postpartum. Although laparoscopic operation is recommended for its safety, the use of drugs such as ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and the novel lipid-lowering compound, ezetimibe would also be considered. In this paper, we systematically review the incidence and natural history of pregnancy-related biliary sludge and gallstone formation and carefully discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying the lithogenic effect of estrogen on gallstone formation during pregnancy. We also summarize recent progress in the necessary strategies recommended for the prevention and the treatment of gallstones in pregnant women.     

Gallstone disease: Current therapeutic practice

Opinion statement Most asymptomatic gallstone carriers require no therapy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the best definitive therapy for symptomatic gallstone disease. Selective laparoscopic cholecystectomy can provide secondary prevention of symptoms and complications in certain instances (in a complex clinical setting such as sickle cell disease or to prevent gallbladder carcinoma from developing in those at risk with large [> 3 cm] gallstones or with a calcified gallbladder). Primary prevention is unproven but focuses on early identification and risk alteration to decrease the possibility of developing gallstones. Ursodeoxycholic acid has a limited role for stone dissolution but can prevent stone development in severe obesity during rapid weight reduction with diet or after bariatric surgery. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with endoscopic sphincterotomy represents the therapeutic cornerstone for managing severe pancreatitis and cholangitis.     

Surgical therapy for gallstone disease

Surgery, in particular laparoscopic cholecystectomy, will probably remain the preferred treatment for symptomatic gallbladder stones. It is unlikely that other methods of treatment, such as oral dissolution therapy or lithotripsy, can match the results and patient acceptance of this procedure. With the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, however, more patients with choledocholithiasis will undergo endoscopic sphincterotomy and endoscopic common bile duct clearance. This may change, however, if the common bile duct can be explored safely through the laparoscope. Finally, severe gallstone pancreatitis will continue to be treated by early endoscopic sphincterotomy followed by cholecystectomy. Nevertheless, endoscopic sphincterotomy alone will be used more often as a definitive treatment to prevent recurrent attacks, especially in elderly patients who are poor candidates for cholecystectomy.     

Symptomatic,non-complicated gallbladder stone disease. Operation or observation? A randomized clinical study

BACKGROUND: Cholecystectomy has been recognized as the treatment of choice for symptomatic gallbladder stone disease. Not all patients are cured by an operation and the reason for having the gallbladder removed may rest on common practice rather than evidence-based medicine. The aim was to compare cholecystectomy with observation (watchful waiting) in patients with uncomplicated symptomatic GBS disease. Three-hundred-and-thirty-eight patients were considered for participation in the study; 45 patients were excluded according to predefined criteria and 156 did not join for other reasons. The remaining 137 were randomized to cholecystectomy (n = 68) or non-operative, expectant treatment (n = 69). METHODS: Randomized patients were contacted regularly and followed for a median of 67 months. All gallstone-related hospital contacts were registered in both randomized and excluded patients. RESULTS: Eight of the patients randomized to cholecystectomy did not undergo operation, while 35 of the patients randomized to observation later had their gallbladders removed. The cumulative risk of having a cholecystectomy seemed to level off after 4 years. Gallstone-related complications occurred in 3 patients in the observation group, 1 in the operation group and 5 of 201 excluded patients. After cholecystectomy, 16 of 222 patients had a major complication and 10 a minor. CONCLUSIONS: We found that non-operative expectant treatment carries a low risk of complications. Patients should be informed that watchful waiting is a safe option.     

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the grossly obese: 4 years experience and review of literature

BackgroundConventional abdominal surgery in grossly obese patients is associated with an increased rate of postoperative complications; thus, laparoscopic surgery may be preferred in these patients.Patients and methodsA prospective analysis was performed of 20 grossly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy between April 1996 and April 2000 for symptomatic non-complicated gallstone disease.ResultsTechnical problems at operation included difficulty with induction of pneumoperitoneum and introduction of the most lateral subcostal port, retraction of the gallbladder fundus, the need for longer instruments and the closure of the fascia. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was successfully completed in 19 patients, but one patient required conversion to open operation. There were no anaesthetic difficulties. Two patients developed minor chest infections. The mean hospital stay was 2.9 days.ConclusionLaparoscopic cholecystectomy is feasible and can be recommended for symptomatic gallstone disease in grossly obese patients.     

Clinical significance of ultrasonographically detected coincidental gallstones

The clinical profiles of 139 patients with gallstones found coincidentally during ultrasonography were reviewed and the patients followed prospectively for five years. Indications for ultrasonography included follow-up of abdominal malignancy (33%), evaluation of abdominal aortic aneurysm or other arteriosclerotic vascular disease (22%), renal insufficiency (12%), and lower abdominal pain (7%). At the time of gallstone detection, 14 patients (10%) had symptoms attributable to cholelithiasis. Over the next five years, only 15 patients (11%) developed episodes resembling biliary pain. Nine patients underwent cholecystectomy during this period. Three of the cholecystectomies were incidental to other abdominal procedures. Two cholecystectomies were performed as emergencies for gallstone complications with no perioperative mortality. Interestingly, 54 patients (40%) with coincidental gallstones died during the follow-up period. All the deaths were unrelated to gallstones. These data indicate that Ultrasonographically detected coincidental gallstones rarely have clinical significance, lending strong support to the expectant management of most patients with purely coincidental gallstones.