Electrogastroenterographic examination of 22 patients before and after cholecystectomy

The object of this study was to define the pattern of gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity before and after cholecystectomy. After surgery, on the first postoperative day, the mean and maximal activities of the gastrointestinal tracts decreased significantly, but there was no significant change in the pattern and the duration of the nonreactive period. A dyskinetic effect and/or weakness of electrical activity was observed in all patients before operation, and the same pattern persisted after operation for one month. This suggests the future onset of the so-called postcholecystectomy syndrome, which may result from the fundamental pathological effect of gallstones.