Stabbing pain after gallbladder removal can signal a complication. Examples of these include bile leakage or bile duct injury, retained gallstones, or post-cholecystectomy syndrome.
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ that stores and helps to concentrate bile. Some people may have their gallbladder removed. Doctors call this procedure a cholecystectomy.
As with any surgery, gallbladder removal comes with some risk of complications. If you’ve had your gallbladder removed, you may be wondering what can cause a stabbing pain sensation.
There are several potential causes of stabbing pain after gallbladder removal. Keep reading to learn more about them.
There are a few potential causes of stabbing pain after you’ve had your gallbladder removed.
Below, we’ll explore each cause, including how it happens, as well as its symptoms and treatment.
Bile duct injuries or leakage
Issues with the bile ducts after gallbladder removal may cause stabbing pains. These include bile duct injuries and leakages.
For example, part of a bile duct could be cut or punctured during surgery. This can cause bile to leak into your abdomen.
Additionally, special clips are used to close off the tube that connects your gallbladder to the main bile duct. If these don’t completely cut off the flow of bile, bile could occasionally leak into your abdomen.
Bile duct injuries are rare, happening in only 0.15% to 0.3% of gallbladder removal surgeries. However, they’re one of the more serious complications of this surgery.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a bile duct leakage or injury include:
- upper right quadrant pain or widespread abdominal pain
- nausea or vomiting
- abdominal bloating
- loss of appetite
- fever
- jaundice, a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes
Treatment
If a bile duct leakage or injury is noticed during your surgery, it can be repaired immediately. However, these issues are only detected during surgery about
That means that most leakages and injuries are detected later. Typically, symptoms appear 2 to 10 days post-surgery.
A procedure is needed to correct a leakage or injury. This may include draining away the bile through a procedure called percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage or another surgery to repair a bile duct injury.
Gallstones
Gallstones are hardened deposits that form in your gallbladder. If gallstones block bile ducts, they can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain.
Having frequent, painful gallstones is often a reason that many people have their gallbladder removed in the first place. However, gallstones may spill from the gallbladder during surgery and continue to cause problems.
Up to 40% of people who have their gallbladder removed may have retained gallstones. Most of the time, these retained gallstones don’t cause any symptoms.
Symptoms
The main symptom of retained gallstones is upper right quadrant pain. This pain may radiate to other areas like your side or back.
Having retained gallstones in your abdomen can also increase your risk of other complications like infections and fistula or abscess formation. In addition to pain, these may cause symptoms like:
- nausea and vomiting
- fever
- fatigue
Treatment
Retained gallstones that are causing symptoms may need to be removed surgically.
Bacterial infections associated with these stones can be treated with antibiotics. Abscesses and fistulas can be addressed with drainage and surgical repair, respectively.
Post-cholecystectomy syndrome
Following your surgery, it’s possible to have symptoms that are very similar to when you had gallstones prior to having your gallbladder removed. This is called post-cholecystectomy syndrome (PCS).
A 2018 research analysis notes that the reported incidence of PCS varies widely across studies but that it’s reasonable to say that it happens after 10% to 15% of gallbladder removal surgeries.
PCS may come on days after your surgery or months to years later. There are several potential causes of PCS.
The most common causes of PCS don’t involve the gallbladder or bile ducts and include:
When it’s associated with the gallbladder and bile ducts, PCS may be caused by a bile leakage or gallstones that remain in your bile ducts after surgery.
Symptoms
The symptoms of PCS may include:
- upper right quadrant pain
- stomach upset
- nausea or vomiting
- diarrhea
- fever
- jaundice
Treatment
The treatment of PCS involves addressing what’s causing it. For example, if your doctor finds that peptic ulcer disease is contributing to your PCS, medications like proton pump inhibitors or antacids may help to manage it.
Sometimes, an additional procedure may be needed to address PCS. For example, surgery may be used to remove gallstones that are retained after your gallbladder removal.
Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction
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Sometimes, the sphincter of Oddi doesn’t function as it should after gallbladder removal surgery. That means it can be more difficult for bile and pancreatic juices to pass through, leading to increased pressure around the sphincter.
This condition is called sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD). Researchers estimate that 1.5% of people who’ve had gallbladder removal surgery experience SOD.
Symptoms
If you have SOD can, you can have upper right quadrant pain that may radiate out into your shoulders or back. This can last
Treatment
The treatment of SOD can involve medications or surgery. For example, medications like calcium channel blockers may help to alleviate symptoms by reducing pressure around the sphincter of Oddi.
A surgery called a sphincterotomy may be performed. This cuts the sphincter to help relieve pressure.
If you’ve had your gallbladder removed, contact your doctor if you have any symptoms of potential complications after your surgery. These include:
- persistent or severe abdominal pain
- digestive symptoms like nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach upset
- abdominal bloating
- fever
- jaundice
Some of the complications, like bile leakage or bile duct injury, can be serious. Because of this, don’t hesitate to get care if you believe you’re having complications associated with your gallbladder removal.
Imaging plays a big role in diagnosing what may be causing stabbing pain after you’ve had your gallbladder removed. Examples of imaging tests that may be done include:
- ultrasound
- CT scan
- MRI scan
- hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan, which can help find leaks or blockages in the bile ducts
- endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), which uses endoscopy and X-rays to look for issues in the bile ducts
Your doctor may also order blood tests to help them make a diagnosis. Some examples of blood tests that may be done are:
- complete blood count
- comprehensive metabolic panel
- liver and coagulation function tests
- tests for amylase and lipase
- blood culture if an infection is suspected
Is it normal to have sharp pain after gallbladder surgery?
It’s normal to have some discomfort or pain as you recover from gallbladder surgery. However, severe, sharp, or stabbing pain could be a sign of a complication.
What can cause pain in your right side years after gallbladder removal?
PCS can develop years after gallbladder removal. One of its symptoms is upper right quadrant pain.
How long does post-cholecystectomy syndrome last?
Many times, the symptoms of PCS are mild and go away with treatment. However, in some situations, they may persist for many months.
There are several things that may cause a sharp or stabbing pain after gallbladder removal. These include a bile leakage or bile duct injury, retained gallstones, and PCS.
Treatment depends on what’s causing the pain. In some situations, medications may be used, but an additional surgery may be needed to correct the issue.
Some pain is normal after gallbladder removal, but stabbing pain can be a sign of a complication. Seek care if you have stabbing pain or other symptoms like nausea and vomiting, fever, or jaundice after having your gallbladder removed.