Fetal loss after cholecystectomy during pregnancy.

The histories of 17 patients who had a cholecystectomy during pregnancy were reviewed. All patients were operated upon for clinical recurrent biliary colic. Four patients aborted or had premature labour. It appears that there is an increased risk of fetal loss if cholecystectomy is performed during pregnancy. Because of this, it would appear reasonable to perform the operation only if the exigencies of the situation demand that surgery be done. It should be borne in mind that there may also be an increased fetal loss from recurrent biliary colic treated symptomatically, particularly if cholecystitis and jaundice were to complicate matters further. If operation is performed, the fetal loss rate will likely be in the neighbourhood of 15%.