Currently women who have suffered from Yaz and gallbladder side effects are continuing to come forward and making claims against the manufacturer. Many individuals and families are wondering about the status of the litigation and wondering if they can be part of a Yaz gallbladder settlement. The multi-district litigation is moving forward and more information is being requested from the manufacturer through the discovery process. There have not been any Yaz gallbladder settlements at this point in the lawsuits.

Some women who are using Yaz birth control pills risk developing gallbladder disease. It can present in the form of gallstones (known as cholelithiasis) or inflammation (known as cholecystitis). In both cases, when symptoms manifest, doctors will usually recommend that the gallbladder be surgically removed. This is done through a procedure called cholecystectomy. While it is one of the most common forms of surgery performed on women, there are risks involved.

Below, I’ll explain how cholecystectomy is performed, and highlight the differences between an open versus minimally invasive laparoscopic approach. I’ll also describe circumstances that may force the surgeon to abandon a laparoscopic strategy for open surgery during the procedure.

Open Versus Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Once Yaz gallbladder disease has become symptomatic, your doctor will suggest having the organ removed. The procedure involves severing the gallbladder’s connection to the cystic and common bile ducts. The organ is then separated from the liver and extracted.

Open cholecystectomy was considered a standard approach to gallbladder removal through the 1980s. It is an invasive procedure during which a surgeon makes a long incision (up to eight inches) into your abdomen. The sides of the incision are spread apart to provide access to the organ and surrounding tissue. Surgical instruments are inserted through the incision to cut through the abdominal muscles, and severe the connections that are attached to the gallbladder. The organ is then removed.

Open gallbladder surgery has largely been replaced by laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a minimally invasive procedure. The surgeon will expand your abdominal cavity with carbon dioxide gas in order to provide additional space in which to work. Then, several small incisions (less than one inch) are made into your abdomen. A thin instrument called a laparoscope is inserted through one of the incisions. A tiny camera affixed to the top of the laparoscope sends magnified images to a video monitor.

While the surgeon examines the area by watching the monitor, he will insert additional instruments to separate your gallbladder from its surrounding structure. The organ is extracted through the largest of the incisions.

Because a laparoscopic approach in less invasive than open surgery, your recovery time is shorter and there is less postoperative discomfort. That said, the procedure usually takes longer to perform.

Converting To Open Cholecystectomy During The Procedure

In some cases, the surgeon will need to convert to open cholecystectomy after beginning a laparoscopic approach. The most common reasons are infection or scar tissue. A transition to open surgery may also be necessary if common bile duct stones are present; it is often difficult to remove them with laparoscopy. If the wall of your gallbladder has thickened, or the surrounding structure is not sufficiently visible using the camera on the laparoscope, the surgeon may likewise need to abandon laparoscopy.

Side Effects Of Yaz Gallbladder Removal

Surgical removal of your gallbladder – through both open surgery and laparoscopy – will usually result in nausea and vomiting. Both can be treated with medications. Far more serious is potential damage to your common bile duct during the procedure. It’s worth noting that injury to the bile duct is more prevalent during laparoscopy than open surgery. In either case, when damage occurs, it must be treated with further surgery.

There is also a chance that the surgeon will miss stones while removing your gallbladder. If stones are left within the abdominal cavity, they can cause an obstruction, infection, and other serious problems.

Even in the event that cholecystectomy is performed successfully without complications, you might need to adjust your diet. Diarrhea and digestive problems are common side effects of gallbladder removal surgery due to increased levels of bile acids that move into your small intestine.

Should You File A Yaz Gallbladder Disease Lawsuit?

Healthy women who have never experienced problems with their gall bladders have suffered gallbladder disease after taking Yaz birth control pills. If you have developed gallstones or had your gallbladder removed after using this oral contraceptive, contact an attorney handling Yaz gallbladder lawsuits. You may have a legal right to file a claim against the manufacturer.

In order to understand the connection with Yaz gall bladder problems and gallstones, it is important to review why stones form in the first place. Your liver produces bile salts and sends them to your gallbladder through the common hepatic and cystic ducts. There is a normally a small amount of cholesterol contained within the bile salts. If the level of cholesterol rises, an imbalance occurs, causing the bile fluid to thicken. If this imbalance continues to grow, the cholesterol eventually crystallizes into gallstones. The process is called cholelithiasis.

Cholesterol stones represent nearly 80% of all diagnosed gallstones (the remaining 20% are pigment stones). Yaz birth control pills are thought to elevate the level of cholesterol contained within the bile salts produced by the liver. Moreover, Yaz is thought to reduce the frequency and strength of the gallbladder’s contractions, thereby preventing the organ from pushing bile into the common bile duct. These two factors increase the risk of gallstones.

There are two possible ways to treat symptomatic gallstones caused by Yaz: dissolution therapy and removal of the gallbladder.

Dissolution Therapies For Yaz Gallstones

Dissolution therapies can take one of two forms – oral dissolution and contact dissolution. Oral dissolution therapy is administered through pills that contain bile acids. The most common are ursodiol (or, the branded version Actigall) and chenodiol (or, Chenix). The bile acids dissolve the gallstones. The problem is, there is a high rate of recurrence among patients who use oral dissolution therapy. Over 50% of patients can expect to develop gallstones years down the road. What’s more, the treatment is costly and must be administered over two or three years.

Contact dissolution therapy is administered by injecting a chemical compound called methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) directly into the gallbladder. Like the oral medications ursodiol and chenodiol, the purpose of MTBE is to dissolve the stones. The advantage of MTBE over oral dissolution therapy is that the solvent can dissolve Yaz gallstones within a single day. The drawback is that MTBE is volatile and can cause extreme pain.

Both oral and contact dissolution therapies are only used to treat cholesterol stones (as opposed to pigment stones). Because of the high rate of recurrence and extreme pain, respectively, they are normally used when surgical removal of the gallbladder is not an option.

Surgical Removal Of The Gallbladder

When women who are taking Yaz develop gallstones that become symptomatic, doctors will normally recommend surgically removing the gallbladder. This is accomplished through a procedure called cholecystectomy.

A surgeon can usually complete the operation laparoscopically. This is performed with a minimally invasive approach in which the doctor makes small incisions into the abdomen. Surgical tools and a camera-equipped laparoscope are inserted through the incisions. The doctor can study the site on a video monitor while using the surgical tools to remove the gallbladder.

If the surgeon discovers infection in the area, or there is scarring present from past operations, laparoscopic cholecystectomy may not be possible. Instead, the surgeon may need to resort to open surgery, which requires cutting through the abdominal muscle to reach the site.

One of the dangers of gallbladder removal – both laparoscopically and through open surgery – is that the bile ducts can become damaged. That can lead to bile leakage and infection. Bile duct injuries must be repaired through subsequent surgeries.

Symptomatic gallstones can result in extreme pain and serious medical issues. If you or someone you know has developed gallstones after taking Yaz birth control pills, you may have a legal right to file a claim. Contact a Yaz attorney to explore your options.

Yaz birth control (as well as the generic brand Ocella) are known as fourth generation oral contraceptives. Manufactured by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, they were the first birth control solution containing the progestin drospirenone to be marketed in the U.S. Reports have surfaced regarding a number of side effects that are linked to these drugs. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism – both resulting from blood clots – are causing life-threatening circumstances for otherwise healthy women. Another serious side effect involves Yaz gallbladder problems.

Many women who are taking Yaz birth control have reported experiencing extreme abdominal pain due to gall bladder disease. In many cases, the symptoms are severe enough that the entire organ is surgically removed.

In this article, I’ll describe the two forms of gallbladder disease (cholecystitis and cholelithiasis) that can be caused by the Yaz oral contraceptive pill. I’ll also explain how both conditions are treated.

Cholecystitis And Cholelithiasis Explained

Your liver produces bile in order to help digest fat. The bile flows through hepatic ducts on its way to your gallbladder, where it is stored and concentrated. Fats within food near your upper small intestine trigger a hormone that transmits a signal to your gall bladder, telling it to release the bile. Yaz oral contraceptives have been known to cause gallstones which obstruct the flow of bile from the gallbladder. This condition is known as cholelithiasis.

It’s not uncommon for women who have developed Yaz induced cholelithiasis to experience lancing pain that spreads through their backs to their shoulder blades. Many women also develop intense fever, nausea, and even jaundice.

Cholecystitis is a condition during which your gallbladder becomes inflamed. It is similar to cholelithiasis and can likewise be triggered by Yaz, and the generic equivalent, Ocella. In nine out of ten cases, the inflammation is caused by gallstones. If it is left untreated, it can spread and eventually reach your bowel. Symptoms of Yaz caused cholecystitis are similar to those of cholelithiasis, and treatment is necessary to eliminate the pain.

Treatment For Gall Bladder Disease

Yaz and gallstones can be treated surgically or by administering drugs. Non-surgical treatment includes oral dissolution therapy and contact dissolution therapy; both approaches rely upon medications to dissolve gallstones. Oral dissolution therapy requires more time and is usually reserved for cholesterol stones. Contact dissolution therapy can dissolve gallstones far more quickly, but is still considered an experimental approach.

Doctors will typically recommend a laparoscopic cholecystectomy to address gall bladder disease. This is a surgical procedure during which the entire organ is removed. In its absence, bile flows directly from the liver to the upper small intestine, traveling through the common bile duct.

Understanding The Basis Of Yaz Lawsuits

Many women have filed individual Yaz lawsuits against Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. These lawsuits claim that Bayer neglected to inform consumers about the risks of developing severe side effects, including gallbladder disease. They further claim that the oral contraceptive manufacturer used misleading advertising that failed to adequately describe the dangers of taking the drugs. Women who have no history of blood clots or gall bladder disease have experienced these side effects after taking this birth control pill.

If you have used Yaz and have developed gallbladder problems, blood clots, DVT, pulmonary embolism, or other side effects, contact a Yaz gallbladder lawyer to discuss your options.