Clinical and patient-reported outcomes following subtotal cholecystectomy: 10-year single-institution experience

Objective: Subtotal cholecystectomy provides a safe, bail-out alternative for difficult gallbladders. However, long-term outcomes comparing fenestrating and reconstituting subtotal cholecystectomy subtypes remain underexplored.

Methods: This retrospective cohort included patients who underwent subtotal cholecystectomy between 2010 and 2020 within a single hospital system. Subtotal cholecystectomy was identified by parsing operative notes for keywords. Demographic and clinical variables were collected by manual review. Patient-reported outcomes were collected via phone using an abbreviated Gastrointestinal Quality-of-Life Index.

Results: We identified 218 subtotal cholecystectomies, with 113 (51.8%) fenestrating subtotal cholecystectomy and 105 (48.2%) reconstituting subtotal cholecystectomy and a median follow-up of 63 months (interquartile range 27-106). Rates of bile duct injury (0.9% vs 1.0%; P > .99), bile leak (10.6% vs 9.5%; P > .99), and 30-day readmission (7.6% vs 8.0%; P > .99) did not differ between fenestrating and reconstituting subtotal cholecystectomy. For fenestrating subtotal cholecystectomy, the postoperative bile leak rate decreased fourfold when cystic duct closure was achieved (6.0% vs 24.1%; P = .012). Subtotal cholecystectomies completed laparoscopically had fewer postoperative bile leaks (2.9% vs 16.8%; P = .001), fewer wound complications (4.8% vs 13.3%; P = .035), and decreased length of stay (7.00 ± 9.07 vs 10.15 ± 13.50 days; P < .001) compared with open operations. The survey response rate was 38.9% (n = 51/131); 47 patients (92.2%) did not report recurrent biliary pain or postprandial nausea or vomiting, but 19 patients (37.2%) reported dietary restriction. Long-term completion cholecystectomy rate was 0.9%.

Conclusion: Given no notable difference in postoperative or quality of life outcomes between subtotal cholecystectomy subtypes, consideration of technique depends on intraoperative conditions. Cystic duct closure during fenestrating subtotal cholecystectomy and laparoscopic completion of subtotal cholecystectomy are associated with improved postoperative outcomes.