In a new study published in Obesity it was shown that Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) can successfully prevent gallstone development after bariatric surgery in persons who did not have preoperative gallstones.
Gallstones are a leading source of illness and death worldwide. Gallstone disease affects 10–15 percent of people in Western developed countries. Ursodeoxycholic acid is a bile salt that decreases cholesterol release into bile while increasing cholesterol solubility. It might also help with gallbladder emptying. In individuals with tiny, radiolucent, cholesterol-enriched stones in a working gallbladder with a patent cystic duct, oral litholysis with UDCA produces cholesterol desaturation of bile and may result in gallstone disintegration.

Postoperative gallstone development is increased after bariatric surgery. Many studies have suggested that ursodeoxycholic acid might be used to prevent postoperative gallstone development. As a result, Jingjing Ying and colleagues undertook this study to look into the influence of ursodeoxycholic acid on gallstone development following bariatric surgery in individuals who had no prior gallstones.
Articles examining the effect of UDCA on gallstone development following bariatric surgery were found by searching PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and EBSCO. The incidence of postoperative gallstones was the result. For dichotomous variables, odds ratios were utilized, and random-effects models have been used for statistical analyses.
The key findings of this study were as follow:
1. The inclusion criteria were satisfied by 18 studies with a total of 4,827 individuals.
2. The statistical results revealed that the incidence of gallstones was considerably lower in the UDCA group than in the control group.
3. Furthermore, the incidence of symptomatic gallstones and cholecystectomy was lowered dramatically.
In conclusion, the findings of this study indicates that Ursodeoxycholic acid can minimize the incidence of symptomatic gallstones and the likelihood of postoperative cholecystectomy considerably. Doses ranging from 500 to 600 mg/d can be administered to avoid postoperative gallstone development.
Reference:
Ying, J, Dai, S, Fu, R, Hong, J, Dai, C, Jin, Q. Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on gallstone formation after bariatric surgery: An updated meta-analysis. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2022; 00: 1– 11. doi:10.1002/oby.23427