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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffCholecystectomy carries a small risk of complications including:
- Bile leak
- Bleeding
- Blood clots
- Death
- Heart problems
- Infection
- Injury to nearby structures, such as the bile duct, liver and small intestine
- Pancreatitis
- Pneumonia
Your risk of complications depends on your overall health and the reason for your cholecystectomy.
References
- Glasgow RE, et al. Treatment of gallstone disease. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&about=true&uniqId=229935664-2192. Accessed Oct. 15, 2010.
- Patient information for laparoscopic gall bladder removal (cholecystectomy) from SAGES. Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. http://www.sages.org/publication/id/PI11/. Accessed Oct. 15, 2010.
- Cholecystectomy. American College of Surgeons. http://www.facs.org/public_info/operation/cholesys.pdf. Accessed Oct. 15, 2010.
- Sauter GH, et al. Bowel habits and bile acid malabsorption in the months after cholecystectomy. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2002;97:1732.
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