Quality of life in patients after laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy

The aim of this study was to establish Gastrointestinal Life Quality Index scores of patients before and after laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy comparing scores after both operations.

The 120 patients were involved in this prospective study, 51 male and 69 female, 59 of patients were underwent by laparoscopic method and rest of them, 61, by open method on Surgery Clinic on Clinical university center in Tuzla in period from February 2006 to October 2006, chosen by consecutive method. This study evaluates patients life quality according to score of Gastrointestinal Life Quality Index.

Patients have been tested two weeks before the operation and in two, five and ten weeks of post-operative period. Except from Gastrointestinal Life Quality Index total score, established scores,a parts of life quality are: symptoms, physical function, emotional and mental status and also social activities.

For analysis of achieved results, SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences, V 10.01) program with statistical parameters was used: average values and standard deviation. Out of statistical tests, we used Chi-square test and Student t-test. Values p < 0,05 have been accepted as statisticaly significant.

The results of the study confirm a working hypothesis that patients life quality after two and five weeks of postoperative period is significantly better (p < 0.05) in laparoscopic method group versus open method group. Also, in domains Gastrointestinal Life Quality Index symptoms, physical function, emotional and menthal status and social activities results are significantly better (p < 0.05) in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group than in open method cholecystectomy group. Ten weeks of post-operative period, results showed that these two groups have no difference in life quality in total score, also in domain score.

This comparative study between laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy according to patients life quality aspects confirms advantages of laparoscopic technique in comparison to open cholecystectomy method.