In the body, gallbladder is a place to store bile produced from the liver. The gallbladder often has to be removed (by open surgery or laparoscopic surgery) when it is acutely or chronically infected, has stones, atrophy or gallbladder cancer... After gallbladder surgery, the patient may experience some problems in the digestive tract and cause some complications that need to be monitored and intervened (if necessary).
1. Complications after cholecystectomy
After gallbladder surgery, some patients may suffer from “Postcholecystectomy Syndrome” (PCS). This syndrome includes symptoms such as: sharp or dull pain in the lower abdomen; gastritis, fever, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, jaundice... It is estimated that nearly 50% of cases are due to problems in the bile duct such as: remaining stones, bile duct damage, loss of peristalsis, dilation of the common bile duct. Diagnosis of PCS requires endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).
Usually, postcholecystectomy syndrome does not last too long but will gradually decrease and disappear when the body has adapted. However, on the contrary, there are many cases that last for a long time, causing a significant impact on the patient's quality of life.
2. Causes of Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome
There are many causes that are believed to cause Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome, including:
- Post-operative biliary tract injury;
- Bile duct stricture;
- Post-operative bile leakage;
- Biliary tract, surgical site or abdominal infection;
- Residual stones in the biliary tract or pancreatic duct;
- Abnormal bile flow into the digestive tract after cholecystectomy;
- Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction;
- Biliary tract tumors in the liver;
- Gastritis; Gastroesophageal reflux;
- Irritable bowel syndrome;
- Stress, stress and related psychological problem.
In particular, people who have had cholecystectomy but not due to stones; cholecystectomy in an emergency; young people or people with a history of irritable bowel syndrome are at higher risk of developing PCS than normal.
3. Treatment for post-cholecystectomy syndrome
Usually, after diagnosing and accurately determining the cause of abdominal pain after gallbladder surgery, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment for the patient. It can be medical or surgical treatment depending on each case.
3.1. Medical treatment
Medical treatment aims to change the diet, use medication to treat and improve symptoms. For example, patients with irritable bowel syndrome will need to increase fiber intake and take antispasmodic drugs. The drug helps reduce bile acids in the digestive tract to control diarrhea.
For people with gastroesophageal reflux, they will be prescribed antacids, stomach acid, proton pump inhibitors or antihistamines to reduce reflux.
Especially after gallbladder surgery, patients should eat foods that are easy to digest, limit greasy and fried foods; Eat while paying attention to the amount of food from small to large. If there is no significant discomfort, you can return to a normal diet.
3.2. Surgical intervention
Surgical intervention is often indicated when the cause of complications after cholecystectomy has been accurately determined (usually residual stones in the bile duct or Oddi sphincter dysfunction...). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) will be applied to both explore and remove residual stones in the bile duct. Causes related to the bile - pancreas, Oddi sphincter may be indicated for Oddi sphincter reconstruction surgery through the duodenum.
In general, the human body is a miraculous biological machine. After gallbladder surgery, the body needs time to adapt to the absence of the gallbladder and most digestive functions will return to normal shortly thereafter. However, if the patient still experiences problems such as abdominal pain after gallbladder surgery, indigestion, diarrhea, jaundice... for a long time, they should go to a reputable medical facility for examination and timely treatment.
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