OT - Follow up to GB Surgery - TMI for the Interested

So I had my gall bladder surgery Dec 20th laparascopic.  I had a lot of pain and went back to theHRRH ER on the 22nd, and they did a lot of tests and told me I was leaking bile into my abdomen...and sent me home !!!

Then I went back to hospital the 24th at night and was admitted for further lap surgery, when they cleaned out 1 L of bile from my abdomen and clipped off some loose ducts, and left one duct open, with a drain.

After 4 days in hospital they sent me home with the drain, which is draining about 400 cc of bile-ish coloured fluids.  

Today I took the bus to Dr. Tan`s office (he works with Dr. Hagen) - Dr. Starr who did original surgery is in Florida.  Dr. Nensie (a F) did the clean up on Dec. 25th - highly recommended.  A junior was with Dr. Starr and I think actually did my surgery on Dec. 20th.

Today Dr. Tan and I looked at diagrams and agreed I probably had aberrant bile duct anatomy (1-2% of cases).  (an extra duct). When they did open gb surgery, this wasn`t a problem as they visualized the field, but with the lap method, they don`t visualize the field so this complication happens more.

Dr. Tan is leaving the drain in place.  He said ``the problem is solved, the drain has fixed everything`'.  I said `'the problem is not solved, I have a freaking drain.`'

My liver is fine (because the output of bile is not obstructed, part is going in my intestine, part into the drain, and whatever is making it to the abdomen is hopefully so small that normal body mechanics can clear it.

Anyway, I`m referred to a liver surgeon with a long south Indian name at St. Joe`s, and in the meantime we hope that the bile just stops flowing on it`s own.

I`m self employed.  I don`t think I can take any nursing shifts with a drain coming out of me (can`t lift for example) but I can still tutor.

I am so sorry, that really sucks! I hope they get this sorted out lickety split!

I wonder how often doctor's hear themselves.  When he said problem solved he obviously knew little to nothing about you!  Love your response, hope it was to him and not in your mind (the movie that plays in my mind is often very different than reality outside my head)!  Wishing you super low bile production and speedy healing!  When is the liver doc's appt?

I hope this passes quickly and you get on with getting on. Have you considered starting a You Tube channel called dumb ass things my doctors say? 

I did say it to him directly.  Although I didn't use the word freaking.  The appointment is not set yet, I have to be referred then it comes back.  Thanks for letting me whine!

Wow, that must have been bad. Sorry.

No wonder many bariatric surgeons in states remove GB along with doing wls - mine was out together with appendix, "just in case". I was quite mad at the time as thought this was unnecessary, but really appreciate it now that I see how many GB issues occur post wls.

At least they fixed the leak. it is a good thing if you think of bile filling your abs...  The fact that scares me the most is this "sent me home"... You're a nurse and you recognized severity of the symptoms and came back before it was too late. Another "nice and patient" girl would suck it up to the moment of full sepsis and toxic shock of some kind... Scares the s*** out of me.

Hope you'll be better soon and this bile flow will stop without further intervention.

I had post-op complications after a laprascopic chole as well. My abdo swelled up like I was 9 mos preggers and ready to pop. Luckily no leaking into my abdo. I did manage to barf all over a nurse's shoes when she told me I "shouldn't be on my hands and knees here" (meaning the waiting room area).  Had to have been a litre of bile at least... lmao

Hope you're better soon.