Biliary Tract and Pancreas: Clinical Review of Gallbladder Stones Developed after Gastrectomy

Park, Sung Joon; Rhee, Byung Wook; Lee, Sung Do

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several clinical studies suggest that the incidence of cholelithiasis increases after gastrectomy. This mechanism might be caused by decreased gallbladder motor function due to vagal denervation after gastrectomy. We reviewed 1,252 patients who had stomach cancer with no history of biliary disease and received gastrectomy at Kosin University Gospel Hospital from January 1996 through April 1998.
METHODS
In order to determine the incidence of gallstone after gastrectomy, we selected the patients who had undergone abdominal ultrasonography both pre-operatively and post-operatively.
RESULTS
Two hundred and sixty-one patients were included in this study and those who had gallstone pre-operatively and who didn't have a following after gastrectomy were excluded. Gallstones after gastrectomy developed in 8.0% (21/261) of the patients. The prevalence of gallstone in 600 cases as a control group that visited out-patient department for reguler check-up was 4.5% (27/600). The incidence of gallbladder stone was not related to the age, sex, gastric reconstruction methods, and the stage of stomach cancer.
CONCLUSIONS
Gallbladder stones develop frequently after gastrectomy and the gastric reconstruction method after gastrectomy may not have a significant effect on the development of gallbladder stones.