bile leak complication

[jll1940]

My mother recently had laparoscopic gallbladder surgery.  The surgery was quite extensive with approx. 50-75 stones removed and a lot of scar tissue.  She was discharged home on day 4 and went into the ER with extreme pain the following day.  CT showed a bile leak.  On day 6 she had an ERCP performed with a stent placement and drain.  It has been 3 days postop from the stent placement and drainage of bile (approx. 600 cc) - she still continues to be in extreme pain.  What is the average recovery time (hospital stay) after this complication (bile leak) from gallbladder removal?

[Frillymilly]

I had my gallbladder removed on the 24th June, having waited for a year for it to be my turn. In that time I had a severe bout of pancreatitis and one on of collecystitis. So by the time my surgeon opened me up I was a mess inside, he was not able to removed the whole gallbladder as it had fused to my gut. He left behind 10% stump as he called it. 2 days after surgery I collapsed in agony and couldn't breathe ( my right lung collapsed) a Ct scan revealed a bile leak and I was fitted with 2 drains and had a stent fitted. I was very ill for 10 days , in severe pain and hardly able to breathe. Just as I thought the nightmare was improving, I started to have little spikes of temperature and to feel unwell and have no appetite . A further scan revealed another bile leak and the process was then repeated. I was discharged 18 July feeling dreadful, two stone lost, no appetite and a constant flu like feeling. I have already lost a month of my life - how much longer will I have to suffer?

[Sullystuff]

Make sure that the doc is keeping a close eye on this.  Watch for signs of her becoming more ill, increased pain, and watch the white blood count.  I had gallbladder surgery in Dec. 2005.  The doctors did not realize that the stent was leaking, and I leaked bile into my abdomen for 10 days!!!  I was taken by ambulance to Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) and spent 2 months there, with 7 drains!  It was a very traumatic experience physically and mentally.  Keep me posted.
sue

[CalGal]

Jill, is the drain a T-tube that has been placed within the bile duct? If that's what they're doing then the bile will continue to drain through that tube. Or is the drain within the abdominal cavity?

Where are they saying the leak is positioned?

[jll1940]

It is now day 10 and bile is still continuing to leak into the drain.  She has gone in for a 2nd ERCP and stent placement.  She is completely worn out and frustrated!  

[CalGal]

Jill, it can and does depend on where the bile is leaking from. If the bile is issuing from the remnant of the cystic duct it may resolve fairly quickly as the duct seals itself off because the stent is placed over the entry to the cystic duct. However if the leak is due to nicking of the duct, it's possible it could take a longer period of time. But if the drain is properly removing the bile and there is little-to-none leaking into the body, your mom should not have to stay in the hospital for very long. Monitoring and follow-up can be done from home, with visits to the doc.

The pain may be issuing from both the post-surgical 'normal' pain and from the stent, which can be quite uncomfortable. In addition, the 'caustic' nature of having bile within the abdominal cavity for any period of time, isn't fun and it's going to take some time for the tissues to tamp down their inflammatory responses to be exposed to it.

Make sure you and you mother know exactly where the bile is leaking from.