Brother Is Really Unwell Abscess On Gallbladder. Emergency Surgery Tomorrow

[gordiescotland1]

Hi there.
My brother has been having abdominal pain for about 2 months now on and off in the middle of the night. He had a bad episode 3 weeks ago when he came up to see me and my parents for my belated birthday party. Including a cough and rigours. He is 57 exceptionally fit, a runner, slim eats a Mediterranean diet very rarely unwell. On Sunday night he was admitted to hospital with horrendous abdominal pain vomiting fever. A CT scan revealed an abscess next to his gallbladder which was full of gallstones. He has been on a drip with antibiotics and pain relief and fluids still really unwell. Original plan was to do another scan possibly on Friday and then do a cholysystectomy however he is having it tomorrow morning they dont want to wait any longer. He has a stone blocking his common bile duct and more concerning his liver is damaged. It is planned for keyhole. His wife is a GP and quite concerned. I just am flabbergasted to say the least that he has got gallbladder troubles considering his diet and lifestyle. My dad had his out at age 49 but he was a bit chubby and liked his takeaways!! That was 35 years ago. He had the full cut stomach, no keyhole then. I am wondering if it Is heredity, gallbladder problems. I have had investigations over the years for abdominal pain including nuclear scan and it was no gallstones but a slow functioning gallbladder. I have to admit I'm quite concerned for him. I promise I will update you all

[jno]

it seems they can be hereditary

https://onewelbeck.com/digestive-health/news/are-gallstones-hereditary/

[Buenchico]

The NHS website says that a laparoscopic cholecystectomy is usually done as day surgery, with a recovery period of about two weeks:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gallbladder-removal/what-happens/#keyhole
That, of course, is for elective surgery, rather than emergency surgery. Your brother might need longer in hospital, and longer to recover, because of his medical 'starting point' but it seems to me that he might be getting back to running remarkably quickly.

So, while you're naturally concerned about his health, there doesn't appear to be any great need for panic.

I hope that everything goes smoothly for him.

[gordiescotland1]

Good news my brother had surgery at 3pm. He was in for 2 hours he Is now being taken back to the ward. His wife will phone soon with an update as to how the operation went.

[Sqad]

Feedback appreciated.

[Peter Pedant]

all the best
I am glad it has gone so well so far

you have described charcots ascending biliary triad
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcot%27s_cholangitis_triad#:~:text=Charcot's%20cholangitis%20triad%20is%20the,bile%20duct%20in%20the%20liver).

[Sqad]

PP....naaaah!
geordie,s brother had an empyema of the gall bladder, your reference concerns an ascending cholangitis.

The first is a bag of pus, the second isn't.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah OK thanks

[gordiescotland1]

Further update post operative my brother is slowly recovering. He Is still jaundiced but managing to eat a little. He has also been talking a bit of rubbish. Maybe premed or he was given an injection for pain relief in the middle of the night. He told his wife the porters that took him to the anaesthetic room left him outside the room for 1 hour?? He also said a nurse announced to the ward that all the patients had to look after themselves for a while because all the staff were off to the pub !!

[Buenchico]

>>> "He has also been talking a bit of rubbish".

Quick! Sign up for membership of AB! He'd fit in well here ;-)

[I hope that your brother's recovery continues apace].

[Sqad]

All hospitals have their local pubs LOL
That temperature qns jaundice needs to be watched.

Did they have to open him up or was it done keyhole style.

Early days gordie but thanks for the update.

[Peter Pedant]

// temperature and jaundice//
and rt upper quadrant pain - my god surely that is .....

anyway glad it has gone well ( ish) - didnt wanna say christ he sounds quite ill - but clearly the doctors have things in hand.

once drainage has been restored, he will feel better

[gordiescotland1]

I have just spoken to his wife the operation was a bit complicated but they still managed to do keyhole. The perforated gallbladder and cyst associated with it was pressing on the liver so they couldn't inject dye into the common bile duct to see where this lose stone was and remove it so he is having another scan. If blockage still there the next thing will be dynarod aka as ERCP. Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangepancraetography (ERCP). They are doing regular Liver Function tests

[Atheist]

All the best for your brother.

[TheWinner]

hey, you did well spelling all that gordie! Best wishes to your brother and the family. Hope he has a speedy recovery.

[jourdain2]

I hope all continues to go well.
The moral is - you can only do so much to be healthy.

[gordiescotland1]

When my dad had his gallbladder out by big cut surgery 45 years ago everything was fine he was home in a week off work for 6 weeks. On my mothers birthday 10 weeks after surgery he took her out for a meal. He thought now he had no gallbladder he could eat what he liked. He had chicken Maryland and cheesecake with cream. In the middle of the night he woke up in extreme pain and was jaundice he was taken to gastro ward straight away. He was delirious, normally a very staid boring old fashioned gentleman was exceptionally rude to all the nurses. He had a small piece of grit blocking his common bile duct, they did the ERCP and he was home within 5 days. He was sedated for it probably midazolam but he grabbed one of the nurses bums and suggested he lay on the bed with her !! She politely declined but he was mortified when he woke up !!

[Sqad]

Very helpful geordie.

One has the feeling that there may be rough water ahead, so don't expect a rapid recovery.

He will be fine.

[gordiescotland1]

I think my sister in law feels terrible he has been feeling rough for weeks. She is a GP and she told him she didn't want to know about this and to take buscopan I'm sure she is a fantastic GP but her bedside manner to her own family leaves a lot to be desired. When she was up visiting mum and dad. Mum had a bad chest infection was given antibiotics and steroids, mum said they have to be taken at bedtime to which she replied "It is bed time, take your pills and go to bed your ill!!"

[TheWinner]

I ain't being funny, but glad she isn't my GP.

[Canary42]

/// he grabbed one of the nurses bums and suggested he lay on the bed with her ///

Did you witness that, or hear it from the hospital staff. When I came round from anaesthetic (many years ago now, a young lad at the time) the nursing staff were full of tales about what I said as I was coming round.