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It has been a prevailing assumption that cholecystectomy patients by and large follow a pattern of survival similar to that of the normal population. This paper presents a population-based study of the long-term survival after cholecystectomy in order to reassess this assumption. Based on data available in the Danish National Hospital Register, the records of all Danish women who were operated between 1977 and 1981 were examined and studied up to six years subsequent to surgery. Cholecystectomy patients who were free of diagnosed cancer and who had no major co-surgery (n = 11,123) were compared to both hysterectomy patients and a sample of the female population. Adjusting for age and other covariates, patients with psychiatric hospital admissions prior to surgery experienced a threefold risk of dying within six years after surgery. Patients with prior somatic admissions and patient with acute admissions had a relative risk (RR) of about 1.5. Cholecystectomy patients had a significantly increased mortality when compared to hysterectomy patients, RR = 1.3 (1.1-1.6), and to the population sample. Heart diseases and cancer occurred significantly more often as causes of death among cholecystectomy patients when compared to hysterectomy patients, but our data suggest that the occurrence of many other causes of death may be increased among cholecystectomy patients as well. The authors concluded that cholecystectomy patients are subject to relatively higher levels of mortality than previously assumed in parts of the literature. Furthermore, the increase seems to be attributable to a multitude of causes of death. The most likely explanation of the excess mortality among cholecystectomy patients is that gallbladder patients are relatively fragile. Indeed, with this vulnerable group of patients the potential trauma of the surgical intervention itself needs careful consideration.

This paper assesses the risk of dying within thirty days of admission among 13,854 women who had a cholecystectomy performed as the principal operation during the period 1977-81. The overall crude mortality rate was 1.2%. Women who had a simple elective cholecystectomy performed had a mortality rate (0.2%) similar to women who had a simple hysterectomy, but significantly higher than in the general female population. High age, acute admission, admission to hospital in the three months prior to the index admission, the number of discharge diagnoses, and the geographical region were significantly associated with increased mortality. The higher mortality associated with exploration of the common bile duct disappeared when number of discharge diagnoses was taken into account. As regards early mortality, it is concluded that simple elective cholecystectomy is a safe procedure before the age of 50-60 years. Exploration of the common bile duct may not be as important an independent factor as previous assumed.

In a register-based study of all cholecystectomized patients in Denmark during the period from 1977-85 (37,048 patients) an account is given of the regional variations observed in connection with the intervention. The cholecystectomy operation is sub-divided into four types of operation dependent on whether the intervention is merely a matter of cholecystectomy or it involves the choledocus, the duodenum, the small intestine or other organs. The variation analysis is based on a division of the country into 75 areas, each primarily served by a single hospital. The method highly reflects the differences in clinical treatment strategies. The summarized rate of cholecystectomy for this period of time was 8.2 per 10,000 persons. In areas with the highest and the lowest rates of operation the figures were 12.3 per 10,000 and 5.1 per 10,000, respectively. In 18 areas, the rates of operation were significantly higher than average and in 18 other areas significantly higher than average and in 18 other areas significantly below average. SCV-score (X100) 2.19. There is no systematic correlation between the degree of specialisation in the operating department and the frequency in employing the operation. Areas with an operation index significantly above average had the same rate of more complicated operations than simple cholecystectomy as the other areas. Possible causes of national as well as international variations in the use of cholecystectomy are discussed, and the need for a radical evaluation of this kind of treatment is emphasized.

In a representative questionnaire investigation covering all of Denmark, 3,152 women provided information about their health during a recent pregnancy. Of these, 1,411 (45%) had been ill or had experienced severe complaints related to the pregnancy and 625 (20%) had been hospitalized during pregnancy. The average duration of hospitalization was two weeks with great variations in the various conditions. Women with multiple pregnancies were hospitalized for an average of six weeks. Increased incidence of hypertension and placental insufficiency were found among women over the age of 35 years whereas preeclampsia was most common among primigravidae. Women who had previously had a spontaneous abortion had an increased frequency of haemorrhage, threatened abortion and threatened premature delivery. Previous infertility was not associated with increased occurrence of complications of pregnancy-related morbidity were observed between women who had work outside the home and women who worked in their homes. Women with work outside the home who reported illness or severe pregnancy-related symptoms had an average period of sick-leave of six weeks for health reasons. The most prolonged periods of sick-leave were in cases of threatened abortion, threatened premature delivery and multiple pregnancies. The right to take leave with pay or maintenance allowance prior to the expected date of delivery is not utilized to any great extent more by women with illness during pregnancy. On the other hand, women with long educations utilized this right to a greater extent than unskilled women, who had, on the other hand increased leave on account of health reasons.