Objective: Aim of this study was to examine the changes in incidence of pediatric cholecystectomies.
Methods: Based on a review of hospital-records, children were divided into two groups regarding year of surgery (Group I: 1998-2007; Group II: 2008-2017) and their characteristics were compared.
Results: Number of cholecystecomies increased from 11 to 34. Median age increased from 11 to 15.5 years and mean BMI increased from 19.2 cm/m2 to 23.0 cm/m2. Hereditary spherocytosis decreased from 63.6% to 11.8% (P=0.001) of indications for cholecystectomy, while proportion of cholesterol stones increased from 27.3% to 70.6% (P=0.006). Frequency of laparoscopic cholecystectomy increased from 36.4% to 85.3% (P=0.001). Duration of hospital stay shortened from 8 to 4 days (P=0.008).
Conclusions: Number of pediatric cholecystectomies has significantly increased in the last 20 years, as well as average BMI of the observed population This probably signifies a correlation between rising obesity rates and increase in frequency of symptomatic cholelithiasis in children.