A prospective study of the effect of cholecystectomy on duodenogastric reflux in humans using 24 hour gastric hydrogen monitoring.

Duodenogastric reflux (DRG) was quantified with continuous 24 hour monitoring of gastric pH in 30 patients, 12 of whom underwent operation for repair of an inguinal or femoral hernia used as a control group. The remaining 18 patients with noncomplicated gallstone disease underwent a simple cholecystectomy. Eight weeks after the operation, the tests were repeated. We found that patients with cholelithiasis were accompanied with DGR or alkaline shift more often than the patients in the control group and cholecystectomy decreased the percentage of time that gastric pH was less than two and increased the time at four and six. Although cholecystectomy itself does cause DGR, most patients with DGR may be asymptomatic.