Need for further randomised clinical trials to assess the role of cholecystectomy in patients with suspected gallbladder dyskinesia

Gallbladder dyskinesia is a motility disorder of the gallbladder (the gallbladder does not contract properly). The disorder is associated with intermittent right upper abdominal pain typically lasting for at least half an hour. The optimal treatment for patients with suspected biliary dyskinesia is controversial. This review evaluates the two alternatives for the diagnosed patient group, that is, cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder) versus no intervention. The removal of the gallbladder can be performed by key hole surgery (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) or open surgery (open cholecystectomy). Cholescintigraphy after radiolabeled cholecystokinin (hormone that promotes gallbladder contraction) infusion can measure gallbladder contraction and has been used for the diagnosis of gallbladder dyskinesia. The duration of the cholecystokinin infusion and the cut-off values of ejection fraction (of radioisotope cleared from the gallbladder on contraction) used for the diagnosis of gallbladder dyskinesia are variable, although the most popular cut-off is 35%. Thus, currently, a gallbladder ejection fraction below 35% is considered to be gallbladder dyskinesia. However, there are some doctors who believe that irrespective of ejection fraction, pain related to the gallbladder in the absence of other causes of such pain can be considered gallbladder dyskinesia. One randomised clinical trial including 21 patients found significant cure in pain symptoms after removal of gallbladder (by open surgery) post cholecystectomy (10/11) in patients with a low ejection fraction prior to cholecystectomy compared to those who did not undergo cholecystectomy and had a low ejection fraction (1/10). Further randomised clinical trials of low bias-risk (low risk of systematic error) are necessary to assess the role of cholecystectomy in suspected gallbladder dyskinesia.