EVALUATION OF MEDICAL DEMANDS IN PATIENTS AFTER CHOLECYSTECTOMY

Aim. To retrospectively study the dynamics of healthcare indicators for gallstone disease in Ukraine and to assess the needs for outpatient postoperative monitoring of patients after cholecystectomy. Materials and methods. The study analyzed the number of adult patients hospitalized for gallstone disease, cholecystitis, and cholangitis (ICD-10 codes: K80, K81, K82.2, K83.0), the number of cholecystectomies for acute and chronic cholecystitis, as well as hospital and postoperative mortality rates from 2014 to 2023. Public data from the Ukrainian Ministry of Health's Center for Public Health and the State Statistics Service of Ukraine were used for statistical analysis. To assess the clinical condition of patients after cholecystectomy, a specialized questionnaire was developed, which included demographic data, medical and life history, pain, dyspeptic syndrome, and "red flag" symptoms. Results. The number of operations for acute and chronic calculous cholecystitis in adults in Ukraine over the past decade ranged from 30.5 thousand to 58 thousand per year. Per 100,000 population, the number of cholecystectomies reached its historical maximum of 160.5 per 100,000 in 2023. A sharp decrease in hospitalization rates for gallstone disease, cholecystitis, and cholangitis, along with an increase in hospital mortality among the adult population, was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the early stages of full-scale military aggression (2020–2022). Conclusions. The management of patients after cholecystectomy is a pressing issue for general practitioners, internists, and gastroenterologists, as approximately 25% of operated patients may require medical advice regarding various abdominal symptoms after a successful cholecystectomy.