Gallbladder Polyp; When Surgical Treatment is Necessary?

Abstract

Objective: Gallbladder polyps (GBP) are the lesions that are originated from the mucosa of the gallbladder and reach out to the lumen. The biological behaviours of GBP have still been uncertain, their follow-ups and treatments are controversial as they carry the risk of malignancy. Our aim is to present the results of patients who have been operated on with the diagnosis of GBP in this study.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Department of General Surgery, Giresun University. Patients who underwent surgery for GBP were included between January 2015 and December 2019. The age, gender, symptoms, ultrasonography findings (numbers polyps, types and presence of polyp and stone), surgery method (open and laparoscopic), and histopathological examination results were analysed.Results: A total of 1486 cholecystectomies, including 1388 laparoscopic cholecystectomy and 98 open cholecystectomies, were performed. One-hundred thirty-two (8.8%) of these patients were operated with the diagnosis of the GBP. One-hundred thirty of them were operated with the laparoscopic method and two of them with the open surgical method. Overall, fourty two (31.8%) of the patients were male and 90 (68.2%) were female. The average age was 48.7. One-hundred one (76.5%) patients were clinically symptomatic. Gallstones were analysed in 35 (26.5%) patients. Multipl polyps were detected in 34 (25.8%) patients. There were no polyps determined in 47 (35.6%) patients the histopathological examination. The most common polyp type was cholesterol polyps (%64.8). Cancer histopathology was not found in any patient.Conclusion: It is difficult to differentiate premalign and/or malignant lesions of the gallbladder from benign lesions. Therefore, we believe that surgical treatment is the correct approach for all GBP, which are symptomatic, accompanying stones, and that have a risk of malignancy ultrasonographically.