Patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis at a safety net hospital: Early surgeon involvement matters

Gallstones are a common diagnosis in the United States; though many patients remain asymptomatic, others develop symptoms. Standard of care for symptomatic cholelithiasis is cholecystectomy, but many do not undergo surgery. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that influence receipt of cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis at a safety net hospital.

This is a retrospective study performed at a large, academic, tertiary care and safety net state hospital. Patients who presented with symptomatic cholelithiasis were included. Same admission cholecystectomy and elective outpatient cholecystectomy were considered success/standard of care, and readmission cholecystectomy or no cholecystectomy were considered failures/not standard of care.

Of 376 patients, a substantial minority were Spanish speaking, and almost half had public insurance. 23.7% were successfully treated, and 76.3% had failure in management. A larger number of patients in the group that had successful treatment had surgery consultation, 67.4%. Only 28.5% of patients saw a surgeon as an outpatient within 30 days of their visit. On multivariable analysis, patients who were provided a surgery consultation were more likely to receive standard of care. Age, sex, language, smoking status, lack of insurance, and alcohol use were not associated.

Surgery consultation during presentation for symptomatic cholelithiasis was associated with receipt of same admission, or outpatient elective cholecystectomy, or successful management. There should be a low threshold to involve a surgeon for symptomatic cholelithiasis.