Emergency Gallbladder Surgery May Carry Complication Risk
9July2013
People who are rushed to the hospital for emergency gallbladder surgery are more likely to suffer complications than those who undergo elective surgery. That is the conclusion of a new study by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
The research also finds that older male patients, as well as those who had emergency gallbladder surgery after 7 p.m., were more likely to have surgical complications.
According to the Health Science Center, gallbladder problems are common and are more likely to affect women. More than 25 million people in the United States are believed to suffer from gallstones, which form in the gallbladder and block the ducts that are responsible for draining the liver and gallbladder.
The most effective medical treatment recommended by surgeons for gallbladder stones is the removal of the gallbladder.
Researchers at the University of Texas analyzed 576 gallbladder surgeries performed over a period of eight months at a major urban hospital. They found that most problems were associated with emergency operations conducted at night. About 22 patients out of the group suffered complications and 18 were undergoing non-elective surgery. The findings were presented during the annual meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. The researchers said additional research is needed.
The researchers recommend monitoring for symptoms such as nausea and abdominal pain to avoid the need for follow-up emergency surgery and thus reduce the risk of complications.
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