Gallbladder Surgery
Gallbladder surgery is also known as a cholecystectomy. It is commonly performed to treat forms of gallbladder disease such as inflammation, infection, or gallstones. It can also be used to treat the abdominal pain that can occur with gallbladder disease or from the bile ducts becoming obstructed. The gall bladder functions to store bile, which is a compound that is made by the liver. Bile is used to help break up fats into a form which is easier for the intestines to absorb. Consequently, gall bladder surgery often results in patients needing to carefully watch their fat intake as large fatty meals can cause severe discomfort and diarrhea. Gallbladder surgery can occur in two different ways: open or laparoscopic. Open gallbladder surgery involves a large incision in the abdomen, whereas laparoscopic surgery uses several smaller incisions to reduce the risk of infection and other complications.
Effects of Gallbladder Surgery on Platelets
One danger of any surgery is related to effects on a particular blood cell called platelets. Platelets are cells in the blood that are partly responsible for causing blood clotting. Sometimes surgery can cause changes in either the characteristics of the platelets or in their number. A study done in 2000 in Turkey (which was published in the World Journal of Surgery) by Drs.Yol, Kartal, Caliskan, Tavli, Sahin, and Bozer studied the effects of laparoscopic gall bladder surgery on platelets. Although these physicians did not actively measure platelet count, they did find that this type of surgery resulted in the platelets being "activated", which lead to them being more likely to form small blood clots. Once platelets have been activated and begin to form clots, they may be removed by the body which will then cause a lower platelet count. As a result, while gall bladder surgery does not directly effect platelet count, it can indirectly lower the number of platelets.
Treatments
Because platelet aggregation and clotting can be a dangerous side effect from gall bladder surgery, many physicians will take steps to prevent it. According to the medical study that was performed in Turkey, low doses of heparin (an anti-clotting medication) or periodic compressions (essentially pressing down on the veins to prevent the blood from not moving) can help prevent the clotting of platelets, which can reduce their numbers as a result. If the platelet count becomes dangerously low, many physicians will recommend blood plasma infusions to replace the platelets.
