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SHORT COMMUNICATION

Quantifying patient-reported outcomes following subtotal cholecystectomy: A pilot cross-sectional study using a concise composite questionnaire

Ikemsinachi C. Nzenwa1 ,  Raimundas Lunevicius2* ,  Jack F. Bennett2
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1 School of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
2 Department of General Emergency Surgery, Aintree Hospital, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
JCTR, 025290041 https://doi.org/10.36922/JCTR025290041
Received: 16 July 2025 | Revised: 23 August 2025 | Accepted: 23 December 2025 | Published online: 5 June 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Background: Little is known about patient-reported outcomes and health-related quality of life (QoL) following subtotal cholecystectomy (STC) for benign gallbladder disease. Aim: To conduct a cross-sectional, survey-based pilot study assessing patient-reported outcomes and health-related QoL among patients who underwent STC for complicated cholecystolithiasis. Methods: Forty-four eligible patients were randomly selected from a prospectively maintained list of STCs performed at a university hospital between 2011 and 2021. They were invited to participate in interviews using a five-section, composite, semi-structured questionnaire, which included the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index-10 (GIQLI-10), a modified version of the Short-Form Survey 36, and a subjective health self-assessment.Results: Nineteen patients (response rate: 43.2%) participated in the survey. STC was performed laparoscopically in 14 patients (73.7%). One patient (5.3%) required readmission. At the time of the interview, the mean age was 66.2 years (standard deviation [SD]: 16.95). Sixteen patients (84.2%) reported other medical conditions. The most common long-term symptoms were fatigue (n = 12; 63.2%), bloating (n = 10; 52.6%), and excessive flatulence (n = 10; 52.6%). The mean GIQLI-10 score was 32.5 out of 40 (SD: 6.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 29.6–35.4), with a median score of 35 (interquartile range (IQR): 9; 95% CI: 28–37), accounting for 87.5% of the maximum score. Fifteen patients (78.9%) reported their general health as good or very good. In 13 patients (68.4%), health remained unchanged or improved compared to one year earlier. The mean self-assessed health score was 74.1 (SD: 13.7; 95% CI: 67.5–80.7), with a median of 75 (IQR: 15; 95% CI: 65–80). Conclusion: These findings align with existing literature, showing generally positive patient-reported outcomes following STC. However, this study provides new quantitative details with greater granularity on overall health-related QoL and individual postoperative symptoms. Relevance for patients: The Short-Form Health Survey indicates that 8 out of 10 patients who underwent subtotal cholecystectomy reported their overall health as good or very good, despite experiencing some gastrointestinal symptoms. The information provided in this study can aid preoperative discussions and shared decision-making before cholecystectomy.

Keywords
Benign gallbladder disease
Subtotal cholecystectomy
Patient-reported symptoms
Patient-reported outcome measures
Quality of life
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
Raimundas Lunevicius is an Editorial Board Member of this journal, but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. The authors declare no competing interests.
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Journal of Clinical and Translational Research, Electronic ISSN: 2424-810X Print ISSN: 2382-6533, Published by AccScience Publishing
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