May 26, 2012
Topics A-Z Infections Infection after Open Gallbladder Surgery
Infection after Open Gallbladder Surgery |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: My dad just got his open gallbladder removal surgery 2 weeks ago. He is still in the hospital. He developed a fever after the surgery and was put on antibiotics as the doctors did not want to risk him getting pneumonia, as he had many symptoms such as fever, short of breath, and abdominal pain. Since then, the doctors have done numerous xrays and CAT scans, as they searched to find where the infection steamed from. They found leakage of bile in his lungs and proceeded to remove the leakage by inserting a bag to drain it out. They also inserted a drainage just behind the lung as well. I'm quite worried as he is still in the hospital and continues to have fevers. He is also low on energy and has lost a lot of weight. Please let me know what your thoughts are, and if you suggest I take additional measures, as I'm quite lost as to what to do next. Thank you, d. Dear Demetra: Unfortunately, your father has developed a serious complication of surgery; an intra-abdominal infection. This infection often needs aggressive treatment with continuous drainage and intravenous antibiotics which seems to be the current course of management that his doctors are pursuing. It may take some time for him to recover as it seems the infection is quite widespread. There are no additional measures that need to be taken at this time. Constant reassessment of his clinical situation is required to ensure the treatment measures are effective. Should these measures fail, there is a chance that a second operation may be required. |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 12 July 2011 ) |
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