Cross-sectional studycited by the Tayebat archiveabstract only checked A-ORG-08 standard review
Gut bacteria overgrowth after gallbladder removal
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Diagnosed by Glucose Hydrogen Breath Test in Post-cholecystectomy Patients.
Overview
Sung HJ et al.. J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2015 · PMID 26351251 · DOI 10.5056/jnm15020
Breath tests were positive more often in symptomatic patients after gallbladder removal.
Does the study support the specific claim? Partly · Methodological quality: low
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
SIBO
- How was the study done?
Cross-sectional
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
237
- What was actually found?
More SIBO
- How large was the observed effect?
46.8% vs 13.3%
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Possible cause of symptoms
- What are the study's limitations?
Small, selected
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Weak support
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Low
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Incidence in all patients
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Sung HJ, Paik CN, Chung WC, Lee KM, Yang JM, Choi MG
- Journal
- J Neurogastroenterol Motil
- Year
- 2015
- Identifier
- PMID 26351251 DOI 10.5056/jnm15020 · PMC4622137
- Verification
- verified – PubMed E-utilities efetch, 2026-10-25
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
COI: not stated in record | Grants: none listed
2. Research question
SIBO after cholecystectomy
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Cross-sectional study – Cross-sectional breath-test comparison
- Population
Post-cholecystectomy patients with symptoms, FGID patients, healthy controls
- Country
South Korea
- Sample size
62 / 145 / 30
4. Methods and endpoints
5. Actual results
- Results
Positive glucose breath test 46.8% post-cholecystectomy vs 26.2% FGID vs 13.3% controls (P=0.010).
- Absolute risks
not reported
- Authors' conclusion
SIBO may be an etiologic factor of upper GI symptoms after cholecystectomy.
6. Strengths
- Control groups
7. Weaknesses
- Small
- Symptomatic selected patients
- Breath test validity
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- none applicable
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- high
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Weak support for post-cholecystectomy symptoms.
11. Independent contrary findings
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Low.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Low weight.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | low |
| Risk of bias | high |
| Precision of results | low |
| Directness | indirect |
| Reproducibility | unknown |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | low |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
15. Linked fact checks
- Long-term registry data link removal of tonsils, appendix, gallbladder, uterus, ovaries and spleen to higher rates of respiratory disease, autoimmunity, cardiovascular events, gastrointestinal cancers and dementia; each organ does work the body never fully replaces. – Studies with mixed or unclear results
Use by the Tayebat archive
Note: according to the archive, the studies were compiled by the archive operators. Whether Dr. Elawady himself cited this study is not established.
- What the archive says about the study
Listed in the archive bibliography only; the archive gives no specific interpretation.
- A. What was actually studied?
SIBO after cholecystectomy
- B. What did the authors find?
More positive breath tests
- C. What conclusions do the authors themselves draw?
SIBO may cause symptoms
- D. What does the archive derive from it?
Supports downsides of removal.
- E. Is this derivation scientifically justified?
Weak signal.
- Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)
- not applicable