Postcholecystectomy syndrome - management and treatment

Gallstones are described as one of the most common diseases of the digestive system.It can affect 15% of the adult population.The standard of treatment for symptomatic gallbladder stones is laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Among its most outstanding features are its effectiveness and low complication rate.In a proportion of patients, the image of side effect, with a name known as Postcholecystectomy Syndrome (PCS), occurs after a successful surgery, for some time, with medical implications.In the context of PCS, a variety of clinical symptoms are included, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, indigestion, or bloating.It may be immediately following an operation or many months or years afterwards.The etiology of PCS is complex and ambiguous, including both organic causes (e.g., residual stones, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction), and extra-biliary causes (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome).The variety of symptoms and causes makes the diagnosis of PCS difficult and requires a multidisciplinary approach.This paper will provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on PCS, with a focus on the mechanisms of symptom onset, diagnostic options and available therapeutic strategies, including the treatment of diarrhea caused by bile acid disorders.