Yaz Gallbladder Disease: When Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Is Necessary

Each year, nearly 500,000 people in the U.S. undergo surgery in order to have their gallbladders removed. This is sometimes necessary when women who are using Bayer’s birth control suffer from problems with Yaz and gall bladder disease. Their gallbladders may become inflamed, or gallstones form and become symptomatic. In such cases, the organ is removed through a surgical procedure called laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Even though gallbladder removal surgery is a common treatment when women who are taking Yaz develop gall bladder disease, there are risks and potential side effects involved. This article will explain how laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed and what you may experience after the operation. I’ll also describe the risks involved and why your surgeon may be unable to perform the surgery laparoscopically.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Overview

Prior to the operation, your doctor will administer a general anesthesia in order to put you to sleep. A small incision is then made into your abdomen (near your belly button) through which a thin tube called a cannula is inserted. The surgeon will inflate your abdomen with carbon dioxide, giving him more room to perform the surgery.

Next, a laparoscope equipped with a tiny camera is inserted through the cannula. The camera allows the surgeon to view your gallbladder and nearby organs on a video monitor. After the surgeon examines the area, additional incisions are made into your abdomen through which other surgical tools are inserted. These tools are used to move your intestines aside and position your gallbladder for removal.

Once your gallbladder has been sufficiently isolated, other surgical tools are inserted in order to cut through the bile duct and separate the gall bladder artery. Finally, after all of the attachments have been severed, the organ is carefully removed through one of the abdominal incisions. The operation usually takes less than one hour to complete.

Potential Risks And Side Effects

Most patients who undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy do not experience complications. However, similar to undergoing other types of surgery, there is a risk of bleeding, blood clots, and infection. There is also a chance that the bile duct may be damaged during the procedure. If the bile duct is perforated, bile can seep into the abdominal cavity. The leakage must then be drained and the damaged bile duct must be surgically repaired.

While laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery is minimally invasive, it is still considered a major operation. You’ll experience a degree of postoperative discomfort. Nausea and vomiting are also common.

Many women who have had their gallbladders removed have reported experiencing chronic diarrhea. This is due to the bile secreted by your liver not being absorbed properly by your small intestine. If the bile salts reach your colon, they can cause irritation.

It’s also worth noting there are circumstances that will preclude laparoscopic removal of your gallbladder. For example, if there is scar tissue or infection present, or if the surgeon’s view of the abdominal area is obscured, open cholecystectomy may be necessary. As with any type of open surgery, the risks are greater and the recovery time is longer.

A number of women who have never experienced problems with their gallbladders have developed inflammation, infection, and gallstones after taking Yaz birth control pills. If you have suffered from gall bladder problems after using this oral contraceptive, contact a Yaz gallbladder lawsuit attorney to discuss your legal options and filing a claim.

Yaz and gallstones (small, hard deposits which form in the gallbladder) are not always symptomatic. It’s possible to have them without realizing it. However, symptoms can present if a stone blocks the cystic duct or forms a blockage in the common bile duct. When this happens, you might feel excruciating abdominal pain that can potentially last for hours. You may also experience pain in your back or below your right shoulder blade. Nausea, fever, gas, and even jaundice can also manifest. It is important to seek medical attention if you experience these symptoms.

Doctors can perform a number of tests to diagnose gallbladder disease Yaz and gallstones. The challenge is to determine whether the symptoms (most notably, the intense abdominal pain) are due to the presence of stones or other circumstances. And even if stones are present, they may be non-symptomatic; other conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, and gastroesophageal reflux, might be causing the pain.

Below, I’ll briefly describe the tests doctors will normally perform to diagnose the presence of stones, and to identify whether they require treatment.

Blood Tests

Blood tests are useful for diagnosing acute cholecystitis (inflammation within the gallbladder) and cholelithiasis (gallstones). In the latter case, doctors will try to identify elevated levels of bilirubin and an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase. Bilirubin, in particular, suggests the presence of stones in the common bile duct, a condition called choledocholithiasis. Blood tests can also detect heightened levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase (enzymes in the liver); both also suggest common bile duct stones.

Abdominal Ultrasound

An abdominal ultrasound is a noninvasive imaging strategy that allows doctors to examine the liver, pancreas, wall of the gallbladder, and the bile ducts. The procedure takes less than 15 minutes and can identify stones within the gallbladder that have a diameter of 2 mm or more. However, its accuracy suffers when examining the common bile duct and cystic duct.

Endoscopic Ultrasound

When a conventional ultrasound is inadequate (as in the case when common bile duct stones are suspected), a doctor will perform an endoscopic ultrasound. A small camera is attached to a thin tube, which is inserted into your mouth. The tube (called an endoscope) travels down your esophagus, through your stomach, and into your small intestine. The camera records images of the surrounding area.

X-Rays

X-rays can be taken using a few approaches. Standard X-rays can help diagnose stones that have calcified. A less common approach is called oral cholecystography. You’re given a pill that contains a special dye; the pill is consumed the night before X-rays are taken. The dye fills your gallbladder and allows your doctor to take images of the organ.

A variation of oral cholecystography is called cholangiography. The dye is injected directly into your bile duct, after which your doctor will take X-rays of the duct.

Cholescintigraphy

Also known as a HIDA scan, cholescintigraphy produces images based on a radioactive dye that is injected and excreted into bile. A HIDA scan is more delicate than an ultrasound, though it cannot identify individual stones. Instead, it studies the path of the dye as it travels from your liver to your gallbladder. If the dye does not reach your gallbladder, it suggests a blockage exists in the cystic duct.

Computed Tomography

Computed tomography (CT) and helical CT scans can produce clear images of your gallbladder, pancreas, and surrounding anatomy. Your doctor will perform these types of scans if he or she suspects gallstones within your common bile duct or a perforation of your gallbladder.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) can be used to detect and remove gallstones from your common bile duct. It is an invasive procedure during which your doctor will insert an endoscope down your throat. A camera on the endoscope allows your doctor to locate the stones while a small basket is used to collect them.

After Diagnosis Of Yaz Gallbladder Problems

Women who are diagnosed with symptomatic Yaz gallstones will usually need to have their gallbladders surgically removed. The most common procedure is called laparoscopic cholecystectomy and is minimally invasive. However, if infection is present, the surgeon will often need to perform open cholecystectomy.

If you or a loved one has suffered symptoms related to side effects of Yaz birth control and gallbladder problems, seek medical attention. Then, contact Yaz attorneys to explore whether you have a legal claim to file a Yaz gallbladder lawsuit against the oral contraceptive’s manufacturer, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals.

Women have dealt with a number of side effects while on Yaz birth control including abdominal pain, bloating, and even nausea and vomiting. These symptoms are sometimes related to Yaz gallstones. It is unclear how large a role this contraceptive pill plays in the development of gallstones leading to gallbladder disease. However, an increasing number of reports are coming from women who have no prior problems with gallstones or their gallbladders. This suggests the condition is one of the more serious gallbladder Yaz side effects in addition to the development of blood clots.

We are currently representing women throughout the United States in Yaz lawsuit gallbladder claims.

Yaz is one of the first fourth generation combination hormone oral contraceptive pills. It combines estrogen with a synthetic progestin called drospirenone. It is thought that drospirenone’s diuretic qualities contribute to the inflammation of the gallbladder and the development of gallstones.

In many of cases, the presence of stones does not trigger symptoms. However, inflammation and infection caused by Yaz gallbladder disease can occasionally lead to intense pain (called biliary colic). The pain can often last for days and make it difficult for the patient to breathe properly.

Symptoms Of Yaz and Gallbladder Disease

Yaz gall bladder disease can take the form of gallstones (known as cholelithiasis) or inflammation (known as cholecystitis). Symptoms are similar for both types. When it presents, pain is most prevalent within the abdomen in the upper right section next to your rib cage. You may also feel pain in your back or beneath your breastbone. The sensation can last for minutes or several hours, and prevent you from breathing comfortably.

Women have also reported abdominal bloating, heartburn, nausea, chills, and fever. You might notice discoloration in your urine and stools. Your blood pressure might drop as your heartbeat quickens. In extreme cases, jaundice can develop. Each of these are side effects that can start after developing Yaz gallbladder problems. If they recur, your physician will recommend one of several treatments.

Treatment For Yaz Gallbladder Disease

Depending upon the type of gall bladder disease, your doctor might recommend one or more medications. He or she might suggest a contact solvent dissolution treatment that dissolves gallstones within a few days. Alternatively, ursodiol and chenodiol may be taken orally to dissolve cholesterol gallstones (though it can take years to dissolve them completely).

Doctors will typically recommend a surgical procedure referred to as a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This surgery involves the removal of the entire organ. After your gallbladder is removed, the bile that is normally collected within it flows directly from your liver into the intestine. The most common problem with this type of surgical procedure is that a bile duct can be torn, which would allow the bile to seep into the abdominal cavity. This can cause infection, which must be fixed surgically.

Gallbladder Removal Side Effects

Many women who have suffered from Yaz causing gallbladder disease and been forced to undergo gallbladder removal surgery must make post-surgery lifestyle changes. Diarrhea is common during the first few weeks following the operation. It is estimated that one in five patients suffer from chronic diarrhea after undergoing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Sometimes, the diarrhea persists, requiring the patient to adopt a high-fiber, low-fat diet.

If you have taken Yaz and have been diagnosed with gallbladder disease, you’re not alone. Many women have endured the same experience. There are limited periods of time to file a claim and Yaz lawsuit gallbladder claim. Please contact us to discuss your legal options. We offer a free no-obligation case consultation.

Yaz and gallstones side effects have been experienced by women using Yaz birth control along with other problems while using this contraceptive pill. Yaz gall bladder disease continues to cause serious problems have forced many women to undergo gallbladder removal surgery.

Gallstones develop in many people without causing symptoms. The chance of symptoms or complications from gallstones is about 20%. Nearly all patients (99%) who have gallbladder surgery do not have their symptoms return, however the way bile enters the intestine is permanently changed and can cause digestive problems even following a successful procedure.

Causes

The cause of gallstones varies. Some stones form when there is too much cholesterol or bilirubin in the bile. (Bile is a liquid that helps the body digest fats.) Other stones form if there are not enough bile salts or if the gallbladder fails to empty properly. Increased levels of the hormone estrogen may increase cholesterol levels in bile and also decrease gallbladder movement, resulting in gallstones forming.

Yaz Gallstones Symptoms

Many people with gallstones have no symptoms. Gallstones are usually discovered during a routine x-ray, abdominal surgery, or other medical procedure. Symptoms typically occur if a large stone blocks either the cystic or the common bile duct. The cystic duct drains fluid from the gallbladder into the common bile duct, which is the main duct draining into the duodenum. Together, these ducts form part of the biliary system.

Many women have had painful symptoms involving gallstones and Yaz gallbladder side effects. A stone blocking the opening from the gallbladder or cystic duct usually produces a cramping pain in the middle to right upper abdomen. This is known as biliary colic. The pain goes away if the stone passes into the first part of the small intestine (the duodenum). Acute cholecystitis occurs if the stone does not pass into the duodenum. If the common bile duct is blocked for a long period of time it may lead to pancreatitis.

Symptoms that may occur include:

Abdominal pain – in the right upper or middle upper abdomen:

• May be recurrent
• May be sharp, cramping, or dull
• May spread to the back or below the right shoulder blade
• May be made worse by fatty or greasy foods
• Occurs within minutes of a meal

Fever

Jaundice – Yellowing of skin and whites of the eyes

In the past, open cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) was the usual procedure for patients with symptomatic gallstones. Today, a minimally invasive procedure called laparoscopic cholecystectomy is commonly used which uses smaller surgical cuts allowing for a faster recovery. A patient may have their gall bladder removed in the morning and be sent home from the hospital on the same day. Over 500 thousand people have their gall bladders removed each year in the United States. Many women live with side effects including digestive problems following their gall bladder removal surgery caused by Yaz gallstone problems.