Bowel movement changes after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background & objectives: Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy is the first choice of therapy in patients with symptomatic gallstone disease. This technique has been dramatically effective in decreasing the need for open cholecystectomy and its complications. However, not all patients are free from complications following cholecystectomy. This study was aimed at evaluating the prevalence of changes in bowel movement in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a sample population in Erbil city. Methods: In this prospective clinical trial, 221 patients diagnosed with gallstone disease attended Rizgary Teaching hospital. The patients were screened clinically and by investigations for the eligibility criteria between November 1st, 2018, and October 31st, 2019. Out of these; 172 were included underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia. The patients were given appointment for follow up postoperatively at two weeks and three months for the bowel movement changes, such as diarrhea, constipation, and other complications. Results: The mean and range of age and body mass index of the patients were 40.77 (15-92 years) and 27.07 (17.92-45.20), respectively. Majority of the patients were females (82.6%), and the remaining were males (17.4%). The study revealed that 93.0% and 93.6% of the patients had no changes in their bowel movement upon follow-up for two weeks and three months postoperatively, respectively. The study found no significant differences in the diarrhea rate in patients with different body mass indices at three weeks and three months. The rate at which diarrhea occurred was significantly higher in younger aged patients at three-month follow-up (32.00 vs. 40.83 years). Conclusions: The current study showed a low rate of bowel movement changes in patients who underwent LC at two weeks and three months postoperatively.