gall bladder

My name is Tony Harris. I have recently had my gal bladder removed by laparoscopic surgery. I came home only two days after the surgery and was feeling good. About a week later, I began to feel excruciating pain in my shoulders and abdomen. Late in the evening, the pain was unbearable and I was taken to the ER by ambulance. There they diagnosed me with an abscess 13 by 6 inches that had formed from a small cut on my liver. As a result, a stint was placed in my bile duct and one in my pancreatic duct. In addition, a drainage tube has been placed on my side to drain the "abscess". The fluid that has drained was at first a dark red color. Over time, the fluid has lightened to a pinkish brown. There is speculation that the tube may be removed this Wednesday however, the drain is still collecting two ounces of fluid every 24 hours. My question is, once the tube is pulled from my side, where will the fluid drain? Will it flow into my abdomen causing another abscess to from? What should I be concerned about and what questions should I ask my doctor?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Surgeon has kindly addressed your question in his comments below and I agree with his assessment.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[surgeon]

it sounds like you had a bile leak, rather than a true abscess. This can come from various sources, either an aberrant bile duct draining from the liver right into the gallbladder, or from injury to the main bile duct, or from  the duct that went from the gallbladder to the main bile duct. The treatment you had should eventually take care of it. Assuming what's coming out the drain is bile, or at least bile-tinged, what's usually done is wait til the fluid no longer contains bile, and then remove the drain. The abdominal cavity can absorb quite a lot of fluid of various types back into the bloodstream, even a small amount of bile. So one almost never waits until drainage is zero, because it may never be. What's important is that the bile leak heals; which in the vast majority of cases, it will. I'd think the radiologist wouldn't pull out the drain without first consulting your surgeon.

[pris.]

i am going thru a similar situation, had gallbladder disease without gallstones. after about 11 tests, the 2nd hida scan with contrast showed 0% input & output function & the gallbladder was a dead organ. had gallbladder removed thru laproscopic surgery on 9-19-03, had 10 days of no symptoms, at most mild phantom pains, on the 11th day the same pre-surgery pain resumed in full force. today 10-21-03 going back to internal surgeon. my gi dr said the surgeon may have nicked an organ or duct or i may have residual bile sludge/bile leak. pre-surgery i was having gallbladder attacks indiciative of gallstones... no tests showed gallstones... i know have the same pains again in my should, right arma numb, severe acid/ bile reflux & spit up solids & liquids 8-12 x's daily with extreme nausea.
how much pain are you in? are your pains identical to pre-surgery pains? did you have abdonimal swelling? any sign of infection?

[pickup]

i am not in pain at all but when the pain  came back after a week it was bad pain  i had a leak and they put a sten  in  just my back hurts sone times from the tub  and when i over eat it    ant good but over all i am doing good going to doc in the morning to get tub out. i    hope you  do better  keep me posted  like to here from you  and  i will leat you know how i am doing  thank  you  4 your in put

[pickup]

went  to doc yester day  and did not get the tub out  sead  it wa stell draing to much  sed it could be 2 more weeks what coler dose the draing need to be  and how long have you seen the tub in .  and when the tub is out  can this happen agan. i dont know what is going on  with  this told me that  it would be 1 week with the tub  but it  has been  going on 3 weeks  what must i do

[pris.]

just got out of the hospital again & was diagnosed with a sphincter of oddi disorder, that is the muscle that allows the flow of bile & enzymes from the liver & pancrease to the dueodum (small intestine & stomach juncture) may have caused my gallbladder shut down. i may have to have a stent, bypass or they may have to cut the muscle to allow it to permanently relax, i refuse to do a botox injection every 3 months.
how are you feeling? any better?

[EMarie1106]

I had gall bladder surgery in September 2003.  I'm 26 years old.  After surgery I felt so much better.  Now that it is December 2003, my side hurt like it did before surgery.  I have the pains again and a burning sensation on my right side.  Yes certain foods make me sick to my stomach.  But I'm just wondering why it is hurting.  I do have two kids, 3 years and 16 months.  I do a lot of picking them up and lifting things that are a little heavy, but nothing really heavy.  If anyone can give some answers please write back.