[Predictive factors for cholelithiasis in the morbidly obese submitted to Roux-en-Y gastroplasty]

This study intended to evaluate predictive factors for cholelithiasis in morbidly obese submitted to gastroplasty with "Y" de Roux reconstruction.

The population under study was a group of obese patients enrolled in a program of surgical procedure for morbid obesity at the Department of Surgery, College of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo. The exclusion criteria were: patients previously cholecystectomized, patients with diagnosis of pre-operative cholelithiasis and patients with a questionable ultrasonography about existence of billiary stones. A total of 160 patients were operated, 29 with prior cholecystectomy, 23 with pre-operative biliar lithiasis , 5 with questionable ultrasonography about billiary stones and 103 with normal gallbladders at abdominal ultrasonography.

Results showed that (46.6%) of patients developed cholelithiasis, 22 of them symptomatic. When patients with or without cholelithiasis were compared, no significant difference related to age, gender and preoperative weight was observed. The body mass index, the triglycerides serum levels, total cholesterol and the fractions HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were higher in the group who developed cholelithiasis compared to patients without gallstones and this difference was statistically significant. The percentage of weight loss in the 6th and 12th postoperative month was significantly higher in patients who developed billiary stones.

The study leads to conclude that body mass index, levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol and the fractions LDL and VLDL are predictive factors for cholelithiasis post-gastroplasty with the "Y" de Roux reconstruction.