Prophylactic cholecystectomy during abdominal surgery

The presence of asymptomatic gallstones is no longer an indication for elective prophylactic cholecystectomy (PC) according to the recommendations of the 1991 French Consensus Conference on cholelithiasis. However, there may be potential benefits of performing prophylactic cholecystectomy during certain abdominal procedures for non-biliary disease; this remains a subject of debate. This debate has become livelier with the recent increase in bariatric surgery. Gastrectomy for cancer, small bowel resection, colonic resection, and splenectomy for hereditary spherocytosis as well as all bariatric surgical interventions can all alter the physiology of gallstone disease raising the question of the value of PC, but the specific morbidity of cholecystectomy must be kept in mind. The purpose of this study was to report epidemiological and pathophysiological data and the results from literature reports in order to assess the value of concomitant prophylactic cholecystectomy during various common surgical situations.