Operation Complications

[DataCurator]

I had laproscopic gallbladder surgery which resulted in a bile leak that was diagnosed 5 days after surgery. A stent was placed and removed 6 weeks later. I was told that everything is now OK. When I had another surgery(unrelated – different area) , I felt severe pain in the area under my right ribcage which radiated to my back. That pain subsided after a day or two. I still feel a small amount of pain just under my right rib cage from time to time. An ultrasound revealed nothing, and I was told if I still had a bile leak, I would still have severe pain. I still worry about the long term effects of this. I would think that scar tissue is present in my abdomen from this.

[DataCurator]

I had gallbladder surgery july26th I was released on july 27th I went back to my surgeon on the 28th. Because of severe pain. He pre admiited me to hospital next door. I had test done then a Ercp for a bile leak. and had a stent placement by a specialist through the hospital. I am having problems with nausea. and eating.. I go back to the hospital on sept 8th to have the stent removed. I did contac several attorneys and there statement was. Since there is no long term affect ‘yet’ there really isn’t a law suit. I just pray that is horrble pain goes away after stint removal.. oh yeah and not to mention diarrea.

[DataCurator]

“Bile leak story
I am 53 yrs old. About 4 1/2 years ago I had gallbladder surgery. I was sent home the next day and told everything was fine. About 4 days later all of a sudden I was in excutiating pain. My daughter rushed me to the hopital. They kept me there for 4 days and said they could find nothing wrong with me. I told the doctor that he couldnt send me home in this condition. I was extremely sick. He had even told one of the nurses that he thought I was faking it just to get pain meds. He said I should go home but I had the right to go to another hospital. So my daughter took me to the next town 30 miles away to the hospital. There they immediately knew what was wrong. I had a huge bile leak. I was told I was septic and if I had gone home I would have died. They did emergency surgery and removed almost 1 1/2 liters of bile. They placed a stent in the bile duct (which they later had to remove) and they placed a drain tube in my abdomen that drained into a bag. I had that for months. I was so sick that my urine was black and my stool was white. A sign that my liver had shut down. My right lung had collapsed. And bile had burned my organs. I stayed a number of days in the hopital and then went home. I was so sick that I was oblivious to visitors. I was in bed literally for 6 months. I didnt have the strength to watch TV or read for months. I didnt eat for a month. My 2 daughters quit school and their jobs to take care of me. Home health came in daily. I lost my restaurant business. I can work now but I sit at a desk. I have permanent damage to my right lung. I cant yawn or sneeze or breath deeply. It hurts all the time. I have developed an irregular heart beat that I take meds for. My heart doctor says that it is related to the bad lung. I also have developed inflammation of the sternum and ribs. Also in relation to the damaged lung. I have been told that cat scans show that my lung looks like it is filled with thick cobwebs. I tried to find a lawyer to take my case and couldnt. They said that if it was a visible injury like a leg or arm they would but you cant see a lung. One lawyer told me to come see him. I drove 5 hours just to have him tell me that everyone has aches and pains and to get over it. It has been the most frustrating experience of my life. I will never have surgery again unless I am dying. I am so sorry for all of you and hope that you regain your health and happiness.”

[DataCurator]

in 2002 I had my gallbladder removed when I woke up in the recovery room the pain was so bad I started yelling at the people in the recovery room to do something. I said you left a tool or something inside my stomach. They call me a cry-baby and said don’t be silly you just had surgery and they gave me a shot of morphine or something that put me to sleep I woke up in my room in the pain was worse telling me it was surgical gas. It took 3 days to find out that they had to cut (CLIPPED) a bile duct to my pancreas and it had been leaking bile for 3 days as they were pumping me full of toridol andevery other narcotic underthe sun. After the stint placement I had severe pancreatitis attack ending up with a picc line and ng tube dying until this dr came in with a experimental new drug bextra that has since been taken off the market because of lawyer and i life off pain med. I ended up with abdominal adhesions all over my liver pancreas intestines it was leaking everywhere I have a website with all my medical records online about what happened to me

[DataCurator]

“Gallbladder Complications
My daugher had her Gallbladder removed and after 3 days she began leaking bile. She had a stint placed to stop the leakage from her liver. She was told that she had strange shaped Gallbladder which had and extra valve. The doctor did not seal the valve because he did not know where it was. She was in extreme pain from her abdominal area all the way to her shoulders. She could hardly take a breath and ended spending more days in the hospital. while she was there nurses kept holding the medication for pain, thinking that they were doing her a favor by giving her less. She would spasm and then the pain increased. We had to call the head nurse and she made sure that Tina recieved the correct medication. She was in unbearable pain for 5 days. On the 6th day the pain was bearable and she is home. She is very tired because of the insult her body has indured. She met a women in the hospital who had the exact complications she had. She told us that thing did get better within a week and that she lost over 100 pounds due to all the side affects of the procedure. She said the procedure overall has produced a better outcome and quality of life than she had before. We are hoping that Tina will have the same outcome.”

[DataCurator]

“Hi, I had a laproscopic cholecystectomy, I went home the next day and was recuperating nicely until 7 days post op, on a Friday, when I experienced the sudden onset of excrutiating abdominal pain, mostly upper right quadrant but radiating throughout the abdomen.

I was not diagnosed with a bile leak for 4 days since the hospital I was brought to did not perform nuclear testing on weekends and come to find out not on Mondays either. Instead I lay in agonizing pain counting the time until I could receive my next dilaudid shot.

Finally on Tuesday I had a hydascan and a leak from the gallbladder bed was diagnosed. On Wednesday I had an ECRP with stent placement. Upon waking up the pain was relieved.

I spent 2 more days in the hospital with my main complaint being bloating and cramping with passage of watery loose yellow stools. I was told that this is from the bile that had leaked into my abdominal cavity and would eventually resolve on it’s own. It was being reabsorbed into my system.

My question is, is there anything that I can do to help this process along as it is causing a fair amount of discomfort. Should there have been a drain placed to drain the bile as I have read is often done. I still feel pain on my right upper quadrant, could this be a pool of bile and if so will it eventually resolve on it’s own? Any in put would be greatly appreciated. Thanks”

[DataCurator]

“bile leak
I leaked for 8 weeks and had four drains.”

[DataCurator]

“Gallbladder removal, bile leakage a week later, stent implant.
On New Years Eve 09 I was rushed to ER and via a sonogram dx with gallstones (3 the size of golf balls). Scheduled surgery for Jan 8 (friday) for removal of gallbladder via laproscopy. All was going well til about thursday. I had an apt that day (14th) with my MD for post surgery follow up for 10:30 am. All week long all seemed fine with occasional nausea, cramping, etc. However, I was awakened this morning with pain in the upper right quadrant, lower back, and right flank. I was nauseated, and vomiting. I worked to hold off on going to ER due to having an apt with MD in a couple hours and his office was across street from ER. I get to his office, explain symptoms and he suggests a hydascan to rule out bile leakage. He leaves the office. Immediately the pain worsens and down to my knees I fell. Nurses get me in wheelchair and across the street I go to the ER. Hydascan revealed a bile leakage for several days into my pelvis, liver, kidneys, etc. I was scheduled an emergency ERCP to place a stent into my bile duct to open the narrowing and allow the bile to empty into my small intestine. I was in hospital for three days following the procedure. He said I return in a month for another ERCP for stent removal. I spent three hours in the ER without any pain medication relief prior to stent inplantation. Unethical if you ask me to allow patients to be in that sort of pain. I was diagnosed with biliary colic. I am scared that when they remove the stent its going to start all over again. I have continual pain that is identical to pre laproscopy. Tests show the liver and pancreas is functioning “”normal””. After reading this message board, I believe the MD should have placed a drain during the gallbladder removal to prevent the bile from emptying into my system. I have been off work since the surgery and am afraid to return with continued symptoms occurring. I have a 7 day waiting period with Short Term disability and am afraid to return to work fearing this isnt over. Any suggestions?”

[DataCurator]

“pain after gallbladder surgery… weird symptoms
I had my gallbladder removed 4 weeks ago, about 1 week ago, started with nausea, dry-heaving, and some mild diarrhea. I also have Crohn”s, so I thought it was that. Now, they are ruling out a bile duct leak. Have had low grade temps of 99-100 for past 2 weeks, light-headed when standing up, pain on and off in the right upper abd. I thought it was all unrelated symptoms, now I”m seeing that it all makes sense. Also my white blood count was low and my adrenal gland levels were high. Something was going on… glad I stuck with it.”

[DataCurator]

I too had my gallbladder out LAP. in February this year and returned with a bile leak <48hrs later- a stent was put in and I went home 9 days later. I have had pain worse than b4 gallbladder surgery on and off since- now the pain is constant but all my blood tests have been "essentially" normal. I am so frustrated and feel so lousy- nauseous all the time, horrible abdominal pain that goes to my back and my sides-its awful. I am so frustrated I dont know where to go anymore-the ER thinks Im nuts and wants to blow me off everytime- good luck to u all-altho I feel awful and have empathy for you all, I am glad to c I am not the only one.