The gall bladder is an organ attached to the liver that collects the bile fluid from the liver prior to sending it to the intestine for excretion. Surgeons usually perform surgery on the gall bladder to relieve obstruction of the flow of bile. That surgery typically requires removal of the gall bladder. According to the Mayo Clinic, gall bladder obstruction causes intense pain, and surgery often must be done to relieve the pain.
Common Bile Duct Injury
During gall bladder surgery, and specifically gall bladder removal, surgeons must work close to the common bile duct. Injury to the bile duct is a common complication of gall bladder surgery, according to the "Mont Reid Surgical Handbook." Injury to the common bile duct results in patients experiencing abdominal pain and jaundice.
Intestinal Injury
As the surgeons enter the abdomen to perform surgery on the gall bladder, they can damage the intestine. According to the Mayo Clinic, injury to the intestine is a possible complication of gall bladder surgery. When that injury happens, the intestine can perforate, causing intense pain and inflammation of the abdomen.
Bleeding
Any surgery has the potential to create bleeding as a post-operative complication. In the case of gall bladder surgery, the bleeding can occur at the site of the incision or due to damage to internal structures. Possible internal injuries that can bleed include those to the liver, the intestine or to the blood vessels around the gall bladder and liver.
Constipation
According to the book "Introduction to Surgery" by David Levien, surgery of the gall bladder can cause postoperative constipation. The constipation can be due to any of several different reasons. Manipulation of the intestines causes the movement of food through them to slow down, which causes constipation. Also, pain medications that patients usually take after the operation also act to slow down the intestines.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Cholecystectomy
- "The Mont Reid Surgical Handbook"; David Fischer; 2005
- "Introduction to Surgery"; David Levien; 1999
