Prevalence and Factors Associated With Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: Post-cholecystectomy syndrome (PCS) refers to the continuation or recurrence of biliary colic and any other gastrointestinal symptoms present prior to cholecystectomy. Given that PCS is rare and underestimated in Saudi Arabia, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of PCS among Saudis. Methods: This cross-sectional study included randomly gathered subjects who self-administered the validated European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 questionnaire from September 6 to October 7, 2022. Results: A total of 518 participants who underwent cholecystectomies were included; most were female (73.6%), 153 (29.5%) were 19 to 25 years old, and the vast majority were Saudi Arabian (91.1%). The average preoperative weight was 71 ± 20.7 kg (range 20 to 258), and the mean current weight was 69 ± 19.4 kg (range 30 to 257). About 137 (26.4%) had a chronic disease, most frequently hypertension (37.2%). In the past week, most participants experienced some trouble doing strenuous activities (42.9%), slight pain (37.6%), fatigue (32.2%), insomnia (37.5%), and weakness (38.2%). There were no significant associations between age, nationality, or residence with the QLQ-C30 score (P-value = 0.152, 0.262, 0.071, respectively). A significant association was observed between gender and QLQ-C30 score (P-value < 0.001), with females scoring higher than their male counterparts. Females also reported having a higher quality of life than males. Conclusions: The prevalence of PCS was higher than reported elsewhere.