Gall bladder surgery usually involves removal of the gall bladder. The gall bladder is located just below the liver and stores bile, which is made by the liver. Bile aids in the digestion process. The most common problem that affects the gall bladder, and most common reason for gall bladder surgery, is gall stones.
There can be several after effects of removing the gall bladder, but most people do not experience them. The after effects are sometimes referred to as postcholecystectomy syndrome.
Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain and other symptoms attributed to the presence of the gall stones may persist after surgery. This usually occurs when there is a dysfunctional sphincter of Oddi, which regulates the flow of bile from the gall bladder to the intestines. Pain may also persist as a result of scarring in the area from which the gall bladder was removed.
Numbness Right Upper Abdomen
When an open procedure is performed, the surgeon makes an incision in the skin of the right upper abdomen, cutting tiny nerves in the skin in the process. This usually results in a sensation of numbness in the skin around the incision, which may continue for some time after the procedure.
Chronic Diarrhea
Diarrhea may develop after gall bladder surgery. The exact cause of the diarrhea has not been identified.
Upset Stomach/Nausea
Digestion may be affected when persons ingest a large fatty meal. Bile aids digestion by helping the intestines process fat. With the removal of the storage facility for bile, there may not be enough bile to digest the fat load in the intestines. This results in feelings of nausea commonly described as an upset stomach or indigestion.
Conclusion
The frequency of after effects varies greatly. Often, after effects attributed to the absence of the gall bladder are cause by a different condition such as peptic ulcer disease. A detailed interview and thorough examination of the patient should be undertaken to arrive at an accurate diagnosis.
References
- Townsend, C. et al, Sabiston Textbook of Surgery
- Green, J. et al, Surgery acts and Figures
- McHardy, C. Postcholecystectomy syndrome. Disease-a-Month
