Study of cholelithiasis after gastrectomy

We studied cholelithiasis that occurred after gastrectomy in 52 patients (35 males and 17 females) encountered at our department between January, 1978 and December, 1998. Gastrectomy had been performed for gastric or duodenal ulcer in 35, gastric cancer in 14, gastroptosis in 2, and gastric trauma in 1 of these patients. Reconstruction after gastrectomy was performed by the Billroth II method (B-II method) in 31 patients, Billroth I method (B-I method) in 17, Roux-en-Y method (Roux-Y method) in 3, and esophagogastrostomy in 1. The period between gastrectomy and discovery of gallstones was 1-5 years in 9, 5-10 years in 10, and 10 years or longer in 33, or more than 60% of the patients. Gallstones were present in the gallbladder alone in 33, bile duct alone in 9, gallbladder and bile duct in 10; the percentage of bile duct stones was high. The type of stones was bilirubin-calcium stones in 21, black stones in 12, pure cholesterol stones in 1, combined stones in 4, mixed stones in 12, and others in 2; pigment stones accounted for 63.5%. Gallstones were symptomatic in 78.8% of the patients, and abdominal pain was the most frequent symptom. Bile was positive on bacterial culture in 68.4%, and Gram-negative bacilli were the most frequently isolated. Lymph node dissection, vagotomy, cholestasis, and biliary tract infection are considered to be related to cholelithiasis after gastrectomy.