post chole

[niver]

Can you get stones and/or infection in the common bile duct after a cholecystectomy followed by an ERCP or will I be free of any future complications?
thanks for your reply.

[niver]

Thanks for your reply (again!).  My husbands doc went in again last evening (EGD or something like that).  He said the esophagus was still irritated, that normal looking bile was coming out of the common bile duct (?) and that there was 'food' in his stomach from the morning.  My husband had a little cereral and half a yogert for breakfast and that was all he could eat..he felt full.  anyway, the doctor said that food in the stomach should pass through within an hour or so, so he put my husband on 'Reglan' to help empty his stomach.  I'm hoping that his inactivity from feeling so bad and being in the hospital for the past 6 nights was more the cause of slow digestion.  He was 99% better today than yesterday...skin didn't look yellowish at all, urine is much more yellow than dark tea color and he 'feels' much better... so he was discharged, thank goodness... he'll be on a soft diet for a few days here at home.  We see his doc next Monday.  I asked the doc about any meds that could possibly prevent this from happening again.  He said...well, there might be but we have to wait for the irritation in the esophagus to clear up and for his stomach to get back to normal.  I'm thinking the med would be like aspirin, etc. than can cause bleeding and erosion is not taken properly (????)  
You said in your last reply that he might be able to get meds to prevent a reoccurance.. can you tell what meds you think could possibly prevent stones forming again in the common bile duct.  Once he's healed, we need to focus on prevention.  I would absolutely hate to see him go through this ordeal again.  It was very bad.
Thanks Cal Gal,
You've been very informative and I really appreciate it.
niver

[mikcin]

I had my GB removed in 04 (emergency surgery), back in the hospital in 06 thru ER with 3-wk fever, severe upper quad pain, ran extensive tests nothing showed, was told I had some strange virus or after effects.  Back in ER 3/08 severe upper quad pain, jaundice, very high liver enzymes, admitted, did CAT which showed 2 large stones impacted in dialated common bile duct, 2 ERCP's (first one failed by inexperienced gastro) the second one was successful for removal.  Felt fine for 2 weeks, then back to gastro for severe bloating and pain.  He now wants to do yet another ERCP because he says there is prolly sludge and/or stones that floated down from the liver.  I guess I thought once your GB was removed that would cure everything.  I forgot to ask him if this will be a continuing problem for me or if it will reoccur, so I am curious to find out if this will be the end of it.  I am upset that it took almost 5 years and alot of pain.  I am now so bloated (I look 6 months pregnant) and in alot of pain and no appetite, but I could not get the ERCP until 5/9.

[CalGal]

It sounds as though your husband either had stones that remained in the common bile duct from the time of the cholescystectomy or he made stones in the period of time since then. Call the doc on Monday and discuss the situation. It's possible your husband may need to be on meds to try to retard the formation of any future stones.

[niver]

Thank you for your reply.  wow, pancreatitis is pretty severe.  Ends up that my husband had a lap-chole followed 3 days later with an ERCP (because of same symptoms)12 months and two weeks ago... the ERCP at that time didn't show anything in the duct..the doc opened a stitch and let out a bunch of bile and that seemed to work.  We've had no problems until this past Wednesday, ...he had same symptoms that took us to the doctor to begin with.  After MRI and CAT scan, the doc did another ERCP yesterday.  (Results of x-rays were forwarded to another branch hospital for reading but results won't be back until Monday(4/28/08).  Anyway, doc that did ERCP said in his 25 years as a Gastro doc, that he'd never seen as much PUS come out of the common bile duct before.  Pre-complications to the ERCP... so the procedure took more than the norm of 2 hours. He stopped after 3 hours and said he 'wasn't sure he got everything out of the duct'.  He did say he got several small stones and one BIG one (marble size).  I'm thinking maybe the big one caused the pus and infection but because it's the weekend and he's off.....I can't ask him his opinion...and his on-call doc said...'very good question to everyting we asked...but he didn't have an answer...and we still don't have all the x-ray results.  WE surely don't want this to be an annual event.  I have at least ten family and friends that have had a cholecystectomy and haven't had ANY problems.  Soooo, what's with my husband and this major problem one year post?
Our doc just about freaked me out when he said that we came in to the ER at the right time...any longer and the infection could have killed him.  I need to know if there is a reason this happened and ... is there ANYHING to prevent this from happening again. '
Thank you for your reply.

[CalGal]

There can be problems following any procedure, unfortunately.

Stones can return following cholecystectomy, or stones can be 'spilled' from the gallbladder into the common bile duct and remain lodged. The largest post-ERCP problem appears to be the risk of developing pancreatitis.