Abstract
In 127 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer at the department in a 5-year period (1982-1986) and were followed up by ultrasonography or CT for more than 2 years, postgastrectomy gallstone disease was investigated. The prevalance of gallstone was found in 16 patients (12.9%). Male-to-female ratio was 12:4. The duration from gastric resection to the detection of gallstone disease was within one year in 3 cases; one to 2 years in 3 cases; 2 to 3 years in 5 cases; 4 to 5 years in 2 cases; and over 5 years in 3 cases. The methods of the gastric resection included distal gastrectomy in 5 cases, total gastrectomy in 10 cases, and proxymal gastrectomy in one case. The reconstruction at the gastrectomy were made with Billroth II in 5 cases, esophagojejunostomy with Roux-en-Y in 10 cases, and esophago-gastrostomy in one case. All of them underwent lymphadenectomy at the initial operation. the gallstones were located in the gallbladder alone in 13 cases, common bile duct alone in 2 cases, and both in one case. The incidence of common bile duct stone were considered to be high. Postgastrectomy gallstone disease were predominant in males, and was more frequently found in total gastrectomy-patients with a significant difference. They occupied 23.2% of the total gastrectomy cases. Prophylactic cholecystectomy may be recommended for total gastrectomy patients.
