Background: Symptomatic cholelithiasis and upper gastrointestinal inflammatory pathologies are common causes of upper abdominal pain. It is often difficult to differentiate gastrointestinal symptoms due to gall stones from those due to pathologies in the upper GI tract.

Aim: The objective of the study was to analyze the role of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in cholelithiasis patients with typical biliary colic or atypical upper abdominal symptoms undergoing elective cholecystectomy.

Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted on 163 patients in Tagore Medical College and Hospital from January 2017 to December 2018. We analyzed personal information, presenting symptoms & investigations including USG, pre operative UGI endoscopy, biopsy reports if present, medications, surgery details,& post operative complications (if any) for all the patients included in the study.

Results: A total of 163 patients were included in the study. Mean age of presentation was

41.33 years. The ratio of female to male is 2.4:1. Upper GI endoscopy revealed different abnormal pathologies in (n=80) 49% of the patients in both symptom groups of the patients. Gastritis (14.7%) was the most common abnormal UGI endoscopy finding in this study. Performing a preoperative UGI endoscopy has an important role in identifying other causes of upper abdominal pain that coexist with cholelithiasis.

Conclusions: Upper Gastrointestinal endoscopy should be performed preoperatively for all cholelithiasis patients who present with either classical biliary colic or atypical upper abdominal pain when planning for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy to evaluate for associated upper gastro intestinal diseases, thereby helping in a better therapeutic outcome.

Keywords: Cholelithiasis, Endoscopy, Cholecystectomy, Post Cholecystectomy syndrome.

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Prasanna. C.M

Assistant Professor, Department of General Surgery, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Rathinamangalam, Tamilnadu, India

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