Assessment of the quality of life of patients with cholelithiasis before and after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Relevance. Cholelithiasis remains one of the most pressing issues in modern gastroenterology and surgery. Epidemiological studies indicate a significant increase in incidence in Russia—from 14.4% in 1956–1985 to 28.3% in 2021 — with a pronounced predominance among women (ratio up to 5:1). Despite the high efficacy of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, postoperative impairments in quality of life persist in 10–30% of patients, necessitating an in-depth study of postoperative outcomes. Purpose of our study was to identify clinically significant differences in symptom dynamics before and after cholecystectomy and to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in pain relief and quality of life improvement.
Materials and methods. A prospective analysis was conducted on 120 medical records of patients who underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy between August 2023 and October 2024 at the Surgical Department of City Clinical Hospital No. 18 in Kazan. Inclusion criteria were: age 18–75 years, confirmed diagnosis of cholelithiasis, and absence of acute inflammatory processes. Outcomes were assessed 6–12 months postoperatively using: (1) a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, (2) a specially designed quality-of-life questionnaire, and (3) standard statistical analysis methods.
Results and their discussion. The mean patient age was 54.5±10.2 years, with a predominance of women (58%). Statistically significant improvements (p<0.001) were observed: reduction in mean pain score (VAS) from 6.2±1.8 to 2.1±1.3; decrease in dyspeptic symptoms by 2–3 times; improved psychological status (life satisfaction increased from 35.8% to 72.5%).The most pronounced effect was noted in patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis (87.4% improvement vs. 72.1% in the asymptomatic group, p<0.05). Patients with comorbidities (obesity, type 2 diabetes) exhibited a higher need for enzyme therapy (32.5% vs. 15.2%, p<0.01).
Conclusion. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy demonstrated high efficacy in treating cholelithiasis, significantly reducing pain (from 6.2 to 2.1 on the VAS) and improving quality of life. The greatest efficacy was observed in patients with symptomatic disease (87.4% improvement). The findings justify the need for: individualized postoperative management, development of differentiated rehabilitation programs, and implementation of long-term monitoring systems. This study confirms the appropriateness of laparoscopic cholecystectomy as the treatment of choice for cholelithiasis and identifies directions for optimizing postoperative patient care.

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