Negative workup? Laparoscopic cholecystectomy Still alleviates symptoms

Studies have shown that patients with abdominal pain and biliary dyskinesia (low ejection fraction <35 ​%) have significant improvement of symptoms following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but there is lack of evidence that demonstrates whether patients with biliary symptoms and a normal ejection fraction (>35 ​%) will have similar results.

Retrospective, single center study of patients with biliary pain and negative workup, including HIDA with EF>35 ​%, who were treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy from 2017 to 2022.

There were 117 total patients. The mean age was 45.49 ​± ​15.5 years and 101 (86 ​%) were female. 101 (86 ​%) of patients underwent a right upper quadrant ultrasound, 91 had normal findings, 9 difficult to visualize anatomy and 1 had adenomyomatosis. All patients had a normal HIDA scan and ejection fraction 104 (89 ​%) of patients followed up in clinic within 30 days of surgical intervention. 87 (84 ​%) reported resolution of pre-operative symptomatology after surgical intervention. There was no statistically significant correlation between pain with CCK administration during HIDA (p ​= ​0.803) scan or ejection fraction (p ​= ​0.0977) with resolution of symptoms.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy appears to be a beneficial intervention for patients with abdominal pain and normokinetic biliary disease. Offering surgical intervention early on can potentially save patients from exhaustive diagnostic investigations and possibly misdiagnosis.