Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the paediatric population: A quality-of-life study.

INTRODUCTION

Cholelithiasis is uncommon in childhood but is more likely to present with symptoms that adversely affect the quality of life (QoL). This study assessed patient-reported outcomes after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) using a paediatric-specific gastrointestinal (GI) health-related quality-of-life tool at a tertiary care centre in northern India.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A retrospective study of a cohort of children aged <12 years who underwent LC between 2016 and 2022 was performed. The PedsQL™ GI module questionnaire was administered to the patients or their parents, and the change in the QoL after surgery was evaluated across 14 GI symptom-related domains.

RESULTS

Thirty-five children (23 males: 12 females) with a mean age of 7.24 years (standard deviation [SD]: 3.27) were recruited. The most common indication for surgery was biliary colic (70.3%). The mean post-operative hospital stay was 1.7 days. At a mean follow-up of 52.6 months (SD: 29.7), there was a significant improvement in the mean PedsQL™ GI score after surgery (93.37 [±5.2] vs. 99.65 [±1.35], P < 0.0001). The domains of stomach pain, stomach discomfort, nausea and vomiting and worry about stomach aches showed significant improvement after LC.

CONCLUSIONS

LC for paediatric cholelithiasis results in a significant improvement in QoL following surgery.