DHEC is still searching for answers to Whitmire residents' questions about the town's high number of gall bladder surgeries in children.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control held an informational meeting Monday night with a stakeholder group to update residents on its research and next steps.

About two years ago, what was believed to be an alarming number of surgeries, especially for a small town, was reported to DHEC. And as Dr. Jerry Gibson, the state epidemiologist, told residents Monday, “It's taking awhile to draw a conclusion.”

So far, researchers have investigated gall bladder surgeries, by county and age group, that have taken place since 1996.

The results showed an increase across the board of the number of surgeries among children. It also showed that children ages 15 to 19 in the tri-county area of Newberry, Union and Laurens had gall bladder operations at nearly four times the state average. In the under 15 age group, Newberry County alone was three times the state average.

“There are areas in South Carolina that have a lot more gall bladder surgeries,” Gibson said. “And one of them is this three-county area...It became clear we needed to find out what was going on.”

He said DHEC took a serious look at possible environmental causes, such as water supplies, but turned up nothing.

“It just wasn't the cause,” Gibson said.

Dr. Gil Potter, DHEC regional medical director, told residents that historically, a person's environment does not impact the likelihood of gall bladder surgery. He encouraged healthy eating habits as a preventative measure, as obesity and lack of exercise are the most common factors in gall bladder issues.

So if common environmental links can't be found, Gibson said the next step for DHEC will be to examine the gall bladders themselves. He explained that when removed, the gall bladder is examined by a pathologist.

“What we think we need to do is to work with the physicians in town,” he said. “We need to get all those pathology reports and take them to an expert pathologist.”

With permission from the children's families and the cooperation of the doctors, Gibson said he hopes to get detailed reports that will hopefully lead to a common link.

While DHEC will be tracking down as many families as possible to retrieve consent forms, Gibson asks for the community's help.

Parents of children who are 18 years of age and younger in Newberry, Laurens or Union who have had their gall bladder removed since 2004 are asked to contact DHEC at 803-898-0861. Researchers will need the child's name, age and date of surgery and permission to access the child's medical record, including the pathology report. Newberry County residents can also call the local DHEC office at 321-2170 for a permission form or visit the Whitmire Town Hall.