Improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life after cholecystectomy.

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the accepted treatment for symptomatic cholelithiasis but has been criticized as an overused procedure. This study assesses the effectiveness of LC on reduction in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and the impact on quality of life (QOL).

Methods: A prospective cohort of subjects evaluated for gallstone disease between August 2001 and July 2004 completed preoperative and postoperative GI gallbladder symptom surveys (GISS) and SF36 QOL surveys.