Prior Cholecystectomy as a Predictor of Preoperative Vitamin D Deficiency in Adults Undergoing Spine Surgery

Well over 500 000 cholecystectomies are performed annually in the United States. Between 5% and 40% of patients who have undergone a cholecystectomy experience some form of postcholecystectomy syndrome thereafter.¹ Postcholecystectomy syndrome entails varying degrees of bile salt–derived diarrhea, which typically resolves within several weeks but may persist for years. Despite the influence of bile salts on the intestinal absorption of fat and fat-soluble micronutrients, there exists a decided paucity of literature concerning the potentially deleterious effect of a cholecystectomy on vitamin D status.^2,3