What test now?

I have continual pain in my upper right quardrant ranging from 2-8 on a scale of 10 for over a year.The recent tests have been- blood,  abdominal ct scan with contrast, Abdominal MRI, endoscopy- (which showed gastritis), colonoscopy, ultrasound of gall bladder and abdomen & Lung X-ray. The next one scheduled is an MRI of the thoracic region. Question is what else could cause pain in the gall bladder area, upper back pain and burning along the lower right side radiating to the front? Could this possibly be scar tissue? I did have a laproscopic kidney reattachment which was preformed by cutting the adbomnal muscle in the abdomen about 15yrs. Also had neck and lower back surgery  & at the time the tests showed that another cervical disc was somewhat impaired as well as one in the thoracic region. What diagnostic test now? Oh- all of the above problems occured due to a car accident.

[Jaybay]

Scar tissue (adhesions) is certainly a possibility.  The sad thing about adhesions is that they don't show up on tests, and finding a surgeon willing to cut them down can be very difficult.  Many doctors simply don't believe that adhesions cause pain and other symptoms.  Because more surgery can cause even more adhesions to form, doctors are reluctant to do more surgery to deal with them.  Quite the vicious circle as I know from bitter experience.

Another possibility is your gallbladder.  Even though the ultrasound ruled out gallstones, your gallbladder may not be functioning normally.  A nuclear medicine test called a HIDA scan can evaluate for this problem.

I've been in your shoes, and after all the tests turned up nothing, I insisted on an exploratory surgery as the last "hurrah" before agreeing to be discharged after a week of in-patient testing.  The surgeon was reluctant, but it was a darn good thing I argued with him.  I had no gallstones, but a very infected gallbladder that was about to rupture.  Because it had been infected for so long, I had tons of scar tissue blocking off several areas of small intestine.  Just my luck, the scar tissue has been growing back for over 10 years and I have periodic surgery to cut them back when I'm fully obstucted - again.

Don't take NO for an answer.  You know your body.  In my opinion, doctors rely far too much on tests instead of listening to their patients.  I consider myself extremely lucky to have been with this same surgeon all these years.  He doesn't put me through a bunch of expensive tests.  We both know my body well enough to know what's going on when I tank again.  I don't know what I'll do when he retires!