To Susie - post cholecystectomy syndrome: an explanation for your pain?

[Guest guest]

Hi Susie,

What you are describing is a fairly well known syndrome called

post-cholecystectomy syndrome. Here is a link that describes it

in more detail:

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2740.htm

It is not uncommon for people to continue to have gallbladder

like pain after the removal of their gallbladder. It can occur

immediately after or can take up to several years or more to

happen. It is thought that either sludge, microlithiasis, scarring

from the surgery itself or nerve damage to the sphincter causes

the common bile duct to become completely blocked or have a

decrease in bile flow. The gradual decrease usually doesn't

have abrupt onset nor acute symptoms until the flow is

completely shut off. The abrupt cut off of flow though, will give

symptoms that are described as biliary colic. Many people have

described these symptoms on this board when trying to

differentiate between pancreas pain and SOD pain. From

someone who experiences both, I have to say there is a huge

difference and once you have felt them you will know what it is.

Kinda like the the person with a heart attack....once you have had

one, you know when the other one hits.

I am surprised that your doctors are not familiar with this

syndrome as it is fairly common...especially with the advent of

laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Laurie