Re: Post gallbladder surgery

Posted By HFHSM.D.-rf on August 11, 1998 at 08:36:01:

In Reply to: Post gallbladder surgery posted by Amanda on August 04, 1998 at 22:06:58:






I am a 20 year old female.  I had my gallbladder removed in November of '97.  I was pretty much without pain, except for horrible surgery pain, for about three months, and then slowly, I started getting the same pain again.  I have been through every test known to man. I've had x-rays, ultra sounds, an IVP, a cat scan, an ERPC, and an MRI, not to mention numerous blood and unrine tests.  All of my tests have come back negative.  My pain is located on my right side of my abdomen.  I have heard that adhesions after surgery won't show up, and the only way to find them is to go back in.  I was wondering if this is true, and if you have any ideas as to other possibilities as to what might be causing my pain.  My doctor has even gone as far as to put me on prozac to see if my mind might be telling my body I'm still having pain, even though my gall bladder is removed.  The prozac hasn't helped one bit, and I know the pain isn't in my head, I know what real pain is.  If you have any ideas, please let me know. Thanks, Amanda
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Dear Amanda,
Not all right abdominal pains are the result of gall bladder disease, even in those who have gallstones.  You do not provide any details regarding your pains: type of pain, duration, factors that make pain better/worse.  Reading your email, it is evident that your physicians have completed an intensive investigation searching for other possible causes for your pain.  If not yet done, you may need x-rays of your small intestine and colon looking for structural causes of pain in these organs.  
Often, patients end up being diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome as the cause of their pain.  You may consider trying a fiber supplement to determine if this manipulation improves your symptoms.
Adhesions can only be diagnosed at the time of surgery.  Unfortunately, every time you operate for adhesions, you run the risk of creating more adhesions as the result of your surgery.  
Adhesions often present with symptoms of obstruction: crampy abdominal pain, possibly vomiting.  Are these symptoms similar to yours?
This information is presented for educational purposes only.  Always consult your personal physician for specific medical questions.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: abdominal pain, gall bladder, cholecystectomy
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