A high cholecystectomy rate in a cohort of Mexican American women who are postpartum at the time of oral contraceptive pill initiation.

BACKGROUND

Opinions regarding the association between gallbladder disease and oral contraceptive (OCs) differ. The objective of this article is to quantify cholecystectomy rate among women initiating OCs.

STUDY

DESIGN

Women under the age of 25 years were enrolled at four sites in a randomized trial evaluating initiation of OCs. Hospitalizations while enrolled were elicited during follow-up interviews, and medical records of women who underwent cholecystectomy were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of 757 women enrolled at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), 8 underwent cholecystectomy, a rate of 25.3/1000 woman-years (95% CI=8.1, 42.5). All eight were Mexican American and postpartum when they initiated OCs. The expected rate is 4.2/1000 woman-years for U.S. women aged 15-44.

CONCLUSIONS

Women enrolled at the UTSW site had an increased rate of cholecystectomy and were more likely to be postpartum and Mexican American than women enrolled at the other sites.