Rise in liver enzymes after laproscopic cholecystectomy: a transient phenomenon

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of laparoscopic surgery on liver function in humans and the possible mechanisms behind such effect. Blood samples from 30 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and 20 patients who underwent open cholecystectomy (OC) were tested for liver function by measuring the level of serum alanine aminotrasferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotrasferase (AST) before and after surgery. The level of serum ALT and AST increased significantly during the first 24 hours after surgery in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, no significant change of the serum liver enzymes was detected in open cholecystectomy patients. As a result, there was statistically significant difference in change of both ALT and AST levels between LC and OC patients. The effect was transient and reverted back to normal by the 7th day post operation. Transient elevation of hepatic transaminases occurred after laparoscopic surgery. The major causative factor seemed to be the CO2 pneumoperitoneum. In most of the laparoscopic surgery patients, the transient elevation of serum liver enzymes showed no apparent clinical implications.