Yaz And Gallstones: ERCP For Removing Common Bile Duct Stones

One of the Yaz gallbladder symptoms involves the formation of gallstones. Yaz is suspected of raising the cholesterol level in the liver while simultaneously reducing the activity of the gallbladder. The excess cholesterol moves out of the liver through the secretion of bile. The bile flows into the gall bladder where it remains until it is released to aid in the digestion process. Women taking Yaz have experienced an inflamed gallbladder causing extreme pain.

Your gallbladder normally regulates the amount of cholesterol in the bile fluid by absorbing it into its wall. When there is an excess, it creates an imbalance and it cannot be absorbed properly. What’s more, Yaz birth control pills are thought to lessen the frequency of contractions in your gallbladder. That prevents the organ from emptying its bile content into the cystic duct. The cholesterol eventually begins to crystallize (a process called supersaturation) inside the gallbladder and form Yaz gallstones.

Stones can remain within the gall bladder and cause inflammation and infection. They can also migrate into the common bile duct. Below, I’ll describe the potential complications that can arise from bile duct stones. You’ll also learn how a procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is used to identify and remove them.

Yaz Gallbladder Symptoms

The two most significant dangers of Yaz gallstones within the common bile duct are infection and pancreatitis. Infection within the bile duct is called cholangitis. If it is diagnosed early enough, your doctor may be able to control it by administering antibiotics. However, antibiotics fail to clear up infection in one out of four cases. If the infection spreads, it can become potentially life-threatening.

With pancreatitis, stones can migrate to the lower portion of the common bile duct and block the pancreatic duct. Normally, digestive enzymes travel through the pancreatic duct en route to the duodenum. Trapped in the duct, these enzymes begin to attack the pancreas, causing inflammation. Like infection, pancreatitis can be fatal if it is not treated.

ERCP For Yaz Gallstones In The Bile Duct

Years ago, stones in the bile duct prompted surgeons to perform open cholecystectomy (i.e. gallbladder removal surgery). During the operation, the surgeon would explore the common bile duct for gallstones, removing any that were found. The procedure was invasive and required a long abdominal incision.

Today, doctors can perform ERCP to locate and remove bile duct stones. This strategy is far less invasive than open cholecystectomy. During the procedure, an endoscope is inserted through the throat into the common bile duct. The endoscope is equipped with a tiny camera that transmits images that help the doctor explore the area. A small tube is threaded through the scope into the duct, and a special dye is released. The dye allows X-rays to be taken of the duct, which helps the doctor to identify gallstones.

Once the stones are located, surgical instruments can be threaded through the endoscope into the bile duct to remove them.

Even through ERCP can help you avoid gallbladder removal surgery (when stones are exclusive to the bile duct), there are risks associated with the procedure. Potential complications include pancreatitis, infection, perforation of the bile duct or duodenum, and even damage to the bowel. While antibiotics may be able to control the spread of infection, pancreatitis and damage to the organs must be addressed with surgery.

The connection between Yaz and gallstones is alarming. Healthy women who have never experienced stones have developed them after taking this birth control pill. If you have suffered gallbladder disease or gallstones after using Yaz oral contraceptives, you may have the right to file a claim against the manufacturer. Contact a Yaz attorney to discuss your case including filing a Yaz gallbladder disease lawsuit.

Yaz Gallstones: The Dangers Of Common Bile Duct Stones

In order to understand how Yaz, gallstones and gallbladder inflammation may be related, it is important to clarify how your liver and gallbladder work. Your liver produces bile and secretes it into the common hepatic duct. The bile flows through the cystic duct into your gallbladder where it remains until food enters your duodenum (the top portion of your small intestine). Currently claims are being filed individually and there is no national Yaz class action gallbladder litigation.

When food enters the duodenum, a hormone called cholecystokinin is released. This sends a message to your gallbladder that bile is needed. The organ contracts and propels bile into the common bile duct. The bile flows into your duodenum and aids in the digestion of food.

Yaz birth control pills are believed to increase the cholesterol level in the bile that is secreted from your liver. The cholesterol content is normally small and can be managed by bile acids; the acids prevent the cholesterol from crystallizing into gallstones. Yaz increases the content and creates an imbalance. As a result, the bile acids become less capable of preventing the crystallization of the cholesterol.

Yaz gallstones are also attributed, in part, to less frequent gall bladder activity. If the organ fails to contract as often as it should, the cholesterol-heavy bile fluid sits within and thickens. This makes the formation of gallstones even more likely. It can also lead to inflammation, infection, and other side effects of Yaz gallbladder disease.

Hazards Of Common Bile Duct Stones

Gallstones caused by Yaz oral contraceptives typically form and remain within the gallbladder. However, they can occasionally migrate into the common bile duct. These are called secondary common bile duct stones. In rare cases, gallstones can form within the duct itself. These are called primary common bile duct stones. It is estimated that one in ten people who have symptomatic gallstones suffer from stones within the common bile duct.

Bile duct stones are dangerous. They can cause biliary colic, infection, and inflammation. If the stones migrate lower within the duct to the Sphincter of Oddi (located where the duct empties into your duodenum), they can block your pancreatic duct, triggering pancreatitis.

If gallstones form a blockage within your common bile duct, you might experience sharp abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and vomiting. You might also notice that your skin takes on a yellowish hue. This is known as jaundice and is due to your liver being unable to expel bilirubin through the bile duct. All of these symptoms are warning signs that you need immediate medical attention.

Is Gallbladder Removal Surgery Necessary?

The most common form of treatment for Yaz gallstones is to surgically remove the gallbladder. This procedure – known as cholecystectomy – is normally performed laparoscopically. The surgeon will make a few small incisions into your abdomen and insert a thin tube equipped with a camera along with surgical instruments. Your gallbladder is removed without the surgeon needing to cut through your abdominal muscles.

Your surgeon may be unable to remove common bile duct stones with laparoscopy or a procedure known as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). If that is the case, he will be forced to convert to invasive open surgery during the operation. Whether your gallbladder is removed laparoscopically or through open surgery, there is a risk your bile duct may be damaged. Any injury must be resolved through further surgery in order to prevent bile leakage.

Common bile duct stones are a potential side effect of Yaz birth control pills. They usually require that your gallbladder be removed. If you have suffered gallstones after taking this oral contraceptive, contact a Yaz gallbladder attorney to discuss your options. You may be able to file a legal claim against the manufacturer including filing a Yaz lawsuit.

Yaz gallbladder disease is usually discussed in the context of cholesterol-based gallstones and inflammation of the gall bladder. The condition can also lead to acute pancreatitis. While Yaz pancreatitis side effects can normally be treated with fluids and medications (delivered through an IV), a small percentage of cases may become serious – even potentially life-threatening. Currently claims are being filed individually and there is no national Yaz gallbladder class action.

This article will first describe the function of your pancreas and its role in your body’s digestive process. We’ll then take a closer look at how Yaz gallbladder disease can lead to inflammation of the pancreas and other side effects of acute pancreatitis.

How Your Pancreas Works

Your pancreas has two important jobs to perform. First, it produces enzymes that are vital to the digestion of proteins and fats within your small intestine. The organ secretes these enzymes through the pancreatic duct, which leads to the duodenum. The pancreas’s second responsibility is to release insulin into your bloodstream.

If something blocks the passage of the digestive enzymes as they move toward the duodenum, the enzymes can activate while still contained within the pancreatic duct. If this happens, they will attack the organ. This leads to inflammation which manifests as abdominal pain (mild to severe), nausea and vomiting, and fever.

It is estimated that over 200,000 cases of acute pancreatitis are diagnosed each year. Up to 40% are due to blockages caused by gallstones.

Yaz Gallstones And Acute Pancreatitis

Gallstones can form due to several factors. For example, there may be higher than normal levels of cholesterol contained within the bile secreted by the liver. The cells within the wall of the gall bladder may be unable to fully absorb the excess cholesterol. As a result, the cholesterol crystallizes and forms stones. A lack of activity (i.e. contractions) within the gallbladder can also lead to gallstones; the bile is not pushed out of the organ quickly enough and is allowed to stagnate.

Yaz birth control pills are thought to contribute to stones in two ways: increased levels of cholesterol and less frequent contractions of the gallbladder.

If the stones migrate from the gallbladder into the common bile duct, they can travel to the lower portion of the duct. This is where the common bile duct merges with the pancreatic duct before both empty into the duodenum through the Sphincter of Oddi. Yaz gallstones that become lodged within this area can block the digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas. The result is acute pancreatitis, also commonly known as gallstone pancreatitis.

Treatment For Yaz Gallstone Pancreatitis

If acute pancreatitis is not associated with gallstones, it can usually be treated by the approach mentioned above: intravenous infusion of fluids and medications. However, Yaz gallbladder disease complicates matters. If inflammation or stones are present, your doctor will likely recommend gallbladder removal surgery.

Your gallbladder can normally be removed with a minimally invasive procedure called laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, gallstones that trigger acute pancreatitis are found in the bile duct. If the surgeon is unable to remove them through laparoscopy, he must convert to open surgery. Not only are the risks greater with open surgery (including injury to the bile duct), but there is more postoperative pain and the recovery time is longer.

Gallbladder disease is one of the serious side effects of using Yaz birth control pills. If you have suffered inflammation within your gallbladder, gallstones, or acute pancreatitis after taking this combined-hormone oral contraceptive, contact a Yaz gallbladder lawyer to discuss your legal options. You may have the right to file a claim against the manufacturer.