BACKGROUND: Postcholecystectomy pain occurs in 20-30%. The main cause of this pain remains unclear. Whether the underlying gallbladder disease influences the outcome after cholecystectomy is not fully established.

METHODS: A multicenter questionnaire study comparing the occurrence of abdominal pain and dyspepsia 5-10 years after cholecystectomy in 345 (222 women, 123 men) patients cholecystectomized for acute cholecystitis and in a control group of 296 (213 women, 83 men) patients cholecystectomized for uncomplicated symptomatic gallbladder stones.

RESULTS: Of 641 questionnaires, 534 (83%) were completed. Complaints of abdominal pain and dyspepsia were found with similar frequencies in the acute cholecystitis and gallstone groups. Women had abdominal pain more often than men (42% versus 29%) (P = 0.01). Although more than one-third complained of abdominal pain after cholecystectomy, 93% had improved or were cured.

CONCLUSION: The outcome after cholecystectomy seems to be independent of the underlying gallbladder disease (acute cholecystitis or elective operations for gallstones).