Is laparoscopic cholecystectomy effective in relieving dyspepsia in patients of cholelithiasis? A prospective study

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is routinely done for symptomatic gallstone disease; however, its role in relieving dyspeptic symptoms in cholelithiasis is controversial.

The study was designed to assess the role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in relieving dyspeptic symptoms in patients having cholelithiasis with only dyspeptic symptoms.

Patients with cholelithiasis having only dyspeptic symptoms not attributable to other causes (like Helicobacter pylori) were subjected to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Dyspepsia scores (Dyspepsia Severity Assessment Score-DSAS and Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index- GIQLI) were measured before and after surgery and analyzed using Greenhouse-Geisser, McNemar’s and ANOVA tests.

27 patients (M:F=1:26, mean age=40.48±10.60 years) having dyspepsia with asymptomatic gallstones were included in the study. There was significant improvement in DSAS (20.11±4.36 vs 28.63±3.42; p<0.001) and GIQLI(106.11±5.77 vs 122.56±7.95; p<0.001) after 2 months of LC. All symptoms improved individually; relief in early satiety and vomiting was the maximum (outcome benefit ratios=0.954, p=0.007 and 0.937, p=0.005 respectively). Multiple gallstones caused more dyspepsia than single (p=0.005). There was no significant difference between H. pylori positive and negative groups in terms of improvement of DSAS and GIQLI scores after LC (p=0.897 and p=0.375 respectively; however dyspepsia was seen to improve significantly within both groups).

Dyspepsia may be a symptom of gallstone disease, and these patients can benefit from LC especially when early satiety and vomiting are the main symptoms. A larger sample size may offer more insight.