Evaluating the impact of age and cholecystectomy on diameter of common bile duct: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Cholecystectomy is a commonly performed surgical procedure to treat gallstones (cholelithiasis). Dilation of the common bile duct (CBD) often occurs due to obstructions such as stones or strictures, gallbladder or pancreatic tumors or due to aging. Objective: To determine the association of common bile duct diameter with patient age and cholecystectomy. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals, Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) from March 22 to June 30, 2022. Patients (n=80) of both genders, presenting with abdominal complaints had an ultrasonography for the measurement of CBD. Demographic data, nature and duration of disease and treatment history were recorded. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22. Results: The mean age of the study population was 47.1 ± 14.1 years. Among them 64 (80%) were female, and 16 (20.0%) were male. Total of 34 (42.5%) patients had undergone cholecystectomy. The overall average common bile duct (CBD) diameter was 5.3 ± 1.4 mm, with mean CBD diameters of 4.5 mm for patients under 30 years, 4.8 mm for 31-40 years, 5.2 mm for 41-50 years, 5.4 mm for 51-60 years, and 6.6 mm for those ≥ 61 years (r=0.450; p < 0.001). CBD showed a significant increase in diameter in patients with cholecystectomy (6.0 ± 0.8 mm) compared to those without cholecystectomy (4.8 ± 1.5 mm) (r=0.489; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The present study shows that both increasing age and previous cholecystectomy contribute to larger diameters of CBD. This indicates a progressive dilation of the CBD with age and a significant impact of cholecystectomy on the size of CBD.