Psychological factors influencing results of cholecystectomy

Background: Cholecystectomy is a surgical gold‐standard procedure for gallbladder diseases, among which gallstones are the most frequent. Despite the introduction of minimally invasive surgery and broad access to ultrasound examination there is a group of patients in whom the surgery ailments persist. Those vague ailments can be perceived from a psychological point of view as somatization or even somatoform disorders. Methods: The aim of the study, designed as a case‐control study, was to evaluate psychological characteristics that may accompany the incidence of so‐called post‐cholecystectomy pain syndrome (PCPS). The study focused on 367 patients treated for gallstones in the Dept. of General, Gastroenterological and Endocrinological Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland. At about a year after the operation, the patients received a questionnaire that included a structured interview and psychological assessment of social support and rumination. Those who revealed symptoms of PCPS were invited to t...