All the reports about Murtha being in intensive care made me look

[napi21]

for a link to find complications with laporascopic gall bladder surgery.

Check this out.

http://www.laparoscopicsurgeryinfo.com/risks.htm

Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery Complications
Improperly performed laparoscopic gallbladder surgery can lead to bile leakage, infection, bile peritonitis, abscess and even death. In the event of a mistake or nicking of the common bile duct, bile may back up into the bloodstream causing jaundice, or it may leak out into the abdominal cavity.

Biliary duct injuries caused by surgeons can be devastating — and sometimes fatal — to patients who undergo gallbladder surgery.

In addition, if the common bile duct is damaged during the surgery, subsequent corrective surgery may be needed to correct strictures or narrowing of the duct, and still the patient may suffer permanent pain and/or digestive problems. When bile cannot flow through to the intestines, raised liver enzymes, jaundice and severe pain can result.

Another problem after injury is cholangitis, an infection or inflammation of the bile ducts, causing bacteria and other waste products in the small intestine to flow upward causing infection. Cholangitis can be life threatening if not treated.


I can't believe he had an inexperienced surgeon!

[DeadEyeDyck]

1. I'd imagene a congressman probably got the

best health care possible

[blondeatlast]

2. That's a medical malpracticce website. Expect bias against doctors.

My mom had an absolutely topnotch surgeon and she got the complications and died. I didn't sue--she was certain to die without the surgery.

They are inflating the risk. Murtha likely had a topnotch surgeon as well.

[hlthe2b]

3. Laparoscopic sx is a mixed blessing...

While the patient avoids a major incisional surgery and its inherent longer recovery time, the minimal exposure increases the chance of these complications as one might expect with less ability to visualize the surgical field.

However, do we know that he had an inexperienced surgeon?

[napi21]

4. I would seriously doubt he did! I guess all I meant in the OP was that

some very serious complcations can occur , not from inexperience, but intrinsic with the hazards of this kind of surgury. I really wish him well and I hope whatever his complications are are cured quickly. Being 77 sure isn't a plus!

[ginnyinWI]

5. it's jumping to conclusions to think he had a bad surgeon.

There may have already been infection by the time they did the surgery. And he's older so that would complicate things.

I had the same procedure in November. Doc said that the gall bladder was in worse shape than it seemed because I didn't have a lot of pain. It was partly enclosed by my liver (this does happen) and since the liver doesn't have many pain receptors, I wasn't in a great deal of pain. This could have happened to Murtha too. But I'm not that old (57) and they got it out before any infection had set in, so I'm fine now, thankfully.

[47of74]

7. Same thing about being in the ICU

My grandpa had to be put in the ICU when he was in the hospital a couple weeks ago. Of course I was worried seeing as how he's in his mid 80s and I started to expect the worst. He was only there just over a day when they transferred him back down to medical and now he's home. I'm as aware as the next guy that he doesn't have an infinite amount of time left in this life, but I'm hoping he'll still have a few more good years left.

[pnwmom]

6. Any kind of surgery is risky for a person his age. n/t

[KT2000]

8. he could also had

complicating disorders. I know they hesitated to do gall bladder surgery on my father because he had diabetes. He died before while they were dithering.

[happyslug]

9. Nothing bad reported in the Johnstown Paper

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_033233657.html

[zbdent]

10. hmm ... "inexperienced surgeon" ...

I had my gall bladder removed in 1996 via this method ... didn't even need pain medication after the first day afterward ... no complications ...

now ... how has this reversed since the mid 90s???

[PCIntern]

11. As a clinician, please allow me to say that

you can have 30 years of experience...or one year of experience 30 times...

"You have to ask yourself the question: 'Do I feel lucky?'"

[Bitwit1234]

12. Way back in 1990 I had the surgery and it came out fine.

My doctor was one of the first to start this procedure. I did not have one bit of trouble. I guess I am lucky.

[ginnyinWI]

13. Most people get through this fine.

I read it is one of the most common surgeries. My surgeon said he'd performed it over a thousand times.

Nobody reading this thread should be afraid to have their gall bladder removed laparoscopically. There is also a risk when you sit there with a bad gall bladder and do nothing. You can get an abdominal infection that spreads to other organs and that would be life-threatening.