scar tissue attached to intestine after gall bladder surgery

I had my gallbladder removed 19 years ago. over the past few years i have had a pain when bending streching or straining that feels like a charly horse under the scar from the gallbladder being removed. Over the past month i have had a pain that starts in the right flank area of my back and in by belly yet again under the scar from the removal. in the past week the pain has been so bad that i have gone to the doctor about it. They did a CT Scan blood work and urine test. I see that a lot of you have like pains but has anyone ever experienced the burning / charly horse type pain along with your other symptoms ?

There is a non-surgical treatment for scarring caused by prior surgery called the Wurn Technique®.

Many times after surgery, adhesions form as a part of the healing process. These adhesions act as a powerful glue that can attach to delicate tissues and organs causing pain and dysfunction.

To learn more about how the Wurn Technique® can decrease pain and increase function, visit ***edited by moderator*** web addresses not allowed

I've been in pain on and off since I had my gallbladder removed 3 years ago. 3 weeks ago I got a bad pain in my upper right side and bile starting coming up...I knew what that meant. I was at work and I fought like heck not to throw up. I couldn't sit up because of the pain. I wound up leaving work. This past Saturday (10/2/10) I woke up with intestinal pain. I had a couple of bowel movements and then the bile again. I threw up 5 times and then I was taken to the hospital. I've had an Ultrasound, Endoscopy, ERCP while in the hospital. All the tests came back negative. One week prior I had an MRI and that also came back negative. Yesterday (10/6/10) I saw the GI Specialist that performed my Endoscopy and that was a waste of my time. He did schedule a SBS with fall thru for tomorrow. I saw my Primary Doctor today and I vented my frustration. She thinks it's a nerve problem (gallbladder area) and prescribed me a medicine for seizures!!! I'm sooo sick of this!!!! I want some answers!!! Thanks for letting me share.

Mary

Hey everyone!

I'm only 16 years old and I had my gallbladder taken out in March of this year. I felt good for a while then had horrible pain again around where the gallbladder was and where it was taken out of. It turned out that I had a LOT of scar tissue from the surgeries (i've had 5 in the past 2 years) and they too were afraid removing it would cause more. But then we all decided to try it and since I got the scar tissue removed around a month ago no test shows anymore and I feel so much better then I did even after my gallbladder was first taken out. I know how painful it is....I really hope everyone can find solutions to the problems! I hated having the pain every single day and having no way out of it being a teenager. My heart goes out to everyone!

-Allie

I too lived with the pain under my right rib cage that radiates into my back for over 7 years before a healthcare provider could tell me what it was (they tried to claim it was because of my broken rib on that side). She told me it was adhesions from the gallbladder surgery that have attached my bowels. Just about everytime I eat I am in pain. She explained that if there is alot passing through my bowels or I have gas the bowels expand which damage the liver. This damage causes something similar to bruising, which is why the pain does not go away for several days. I find that if I eat small meals, take a Beano, I can alleviate some of the issues. However the pain is getting worse and due to the pain I wake up exhausted most days.

I am amazed that more healthcare providers are not more familiar with this condition based off the number of those suffering from it.

Most of all I am glad to know I am not crazy and don't have some phantam pain - that it is real. I am going to look into the Nanofiber Biodegradeable Barrier though.

Does anyone every get a bad cramp on the right side?

I had gall bladder sugery in 05 but the pain never went away. I had a ct scan and they said came it back clear. The pain in my right side, under my rib cage gets unbearible a times, I often feel bloated. I also have a hard time using the restroom since my surgery. My doctor suggest I see a surgeon for exploratory surgery. He believes it scar tissue. I don't know what to do, hate to have surgery when their not sure what it is but don't know how much longer I can take the pain.

I had scar tissue wrap around my intestine & pinch it shut from surgeries I had in 03.  Last year (2010) I had to have surgery to remove the tissue becase my bowels were obstructed and  had some of my intestine removed as well.  The Doctor put something in my belly before he stitched me (can't remember what he called it) up to help prevent the growth of more scare tissue, but warned me that any surgery will generate scar tissue.    I heard exercising will irritate the tissue and wondering if anyone has hear the same thing??    

 

THERE IS A STATE OF THE ART HOSPITAL IN ORLANDO, 16 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT.  IT IS CALLED CELEBRATION HOSPITAL, THEY HAVE A DEPARTMENT CALLED CAPPS (CENTER FOR ABDOMINAL AND PELVIC PAIN) ONLY FOR ADHESIONS. THE DOCTOR IN CHARGE IS CALLED DR. REDAN. I CONTACTED THEM AND THEY DID ANSWER BUT IT SEEMS IT WILL BE TAKE LONG FOR ME TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT.  IF SOMEONE NEEDING THEM IS CLOSE BY IT MIGHT BE WORTH TO TRY IT.  MANY PEOPLE RECOMMENDED IT TO ME BUT THEY HAD ADHESIONS DUE TO C-SECTION AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE THE SAME. GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS.

Today, I had a second abdominal ultrasound that would have put me at a Level 10 on the pain scale if I had not kept up with a conversation with the technician. In 2003, I had my gallbladder removed and am wondering if the high level of pain sensitivity to a little ball rolling around across the right side just beneath my ribcage has anything to do with scar tissue from that surgery long ago. The first time I experienced any kind of pain to touch in this area was while showering with a soapy washcloth and that was back in early 2009. I did have an abdominal ultrasound and blood testing done in August 2009 and all was normal. It was so, so much worse today. I will say this, I have had scar tissue removed after having 4 children each by C-section. Back then, I would have abdominal spasms while doing things like bending over to get groceries, gardening, sit-ups, and the way I coped was to stretch back as far as I could. Later, during a hysterectomy the doctor found that built up scar tissue. That was in 2004 and I have not had another abdominal spasm until about 2 weeks ago when I went to lean forward in a chair. I think over time the scar tissue from so many C-sections has formed again. I can handle the abdominal spasms, but the skin sensitivity has only gotten worse. I am almost certain that scar tissue cannot be seen in any type of testing such as an ultrasound. My mom had internal bleeding after experiencing fatigue, light-headiness, and black stools for about two weeks (needed 2 units of blood when she arrived into the ER..her hemoglobin level was around a 6-7) and the doctors found she had an ulcer somewhere in her small intestine (this was actually never seen because testing could not show the entire small intestine), however, a few months later she was back in for severe abdominal pain. During that time, a doctor noticed something "unusual" in tests within her small intestine and through laparoscopic surgery found she had scar tissue from that originally unseen ulcer which was causing a blockage in her intestines. All in all, some scar tissue can be dealt with, others cannot without surgery. I would appreciate any advice having to do with scar tissue from gall bladder surgery years later or if anyone has had the sensitivity to touch, then the scar tissue removed and those results. Thank you.

i'm glad i found this discussion, although it seems a bit dated.

i've had multiple tests to try to identify the pain in my upper right side (that is also present right in the center of my abdomen). i've probably had 5 CT's, blood work, HIDA scans, ultrasounds, colonoscopy, endoscopy, etc. All showed a healthy gallbladder, no kidney stones, no ulcers,  an all around healthy person who was being inflicted with pain and frequent visits to the ER, crawling around on the floor of my apartment in pain, pulling over on the side of the road, etc.

the GI referred me for gallbladder removal and said i had gallbladder disease, because that seemed the only explaination. after another year of suffering, i decided to have the surgery (surgery was the last option for me - i did not want to have surgery). the gallbladder removal was done with no issues (sept 2008)

i woke up after being sent home that evening (a friday night), knowing i was dying and asked my now husband to call 911. frantic. i was put on a morphine drip and screamed in pain until saturday night when the finally found the source. a bile leak. thankfully, it wasn't enough to kill me.

an ERCP procedure was scheduled for sunday morning to stent the leaking bile duct into my small intestine. monday morning, i was opened up again and washed out with 5 liters of fluid (the bile was sitting on my organs still, cooking me from the inside out). i was discharged a week later and told to have the stent removed in 3 weeks.

after 20 lbs of weight lost (i weighed 142 and am a 5'8 female pre-op) and 3 weeks of the stent, i started having massive left side pain. i was admitted back through the ER. the stent had obstructed my pancreas, and i had pancreatitis. another week in the hospital.

i was treated for months post-op for what i called 'gut checks.' it's like being upper cut in the stomach (right/center) from the inside out. these could hold for 2 min to 2 hours and last for days at a time.

it's august 2011 and i have these same problems still. i have gradual onset pain i can feel 'building.' i still have the 'gut checks.' i had a CT that shows only ovarian cysts on the OPPOSITE side and everything else is completely normal. i'm a 28 year old completely healthy active woman with a pristine diet. i want my life back. if you have shared any of these issues, i would love to hear your story.

my wife had her gallbladder removed 31 years ago. She has the same symptoms you describe in your post..Have you found any help? do you know why advice is against removal of scare tissue/

I was sick in bed for over 18 months until last summer.  I need to have a fusion (I won't do it) of my spine but the real pain was like you explained in my abdomen right upper part. I decided to take laxative every night 2 pills of phillips caplets and because of that or because of the summer time I started feeling much better. Now I am afraid of the winter time. My doctors (I saw 21 different ones) told me not to remove the scar tissues because they will grow even more. Good luck.

 

I also had my gall bladder removed and now have pain under my right rib cage and around to my back and I also have lower right lower quadrant pain . I had a colonoscopy today and found nothing. I'm not sure what to do next. The pain seems to come and go but is getting more frequent . I also get very bloated after I eat. I didn't realize other people are going through the same thing.

Kim wrote:

wondering mo wrote:

I had my gall bladder removed 2 1/2 years ago. About 6 months ago, I developed a terrible pain in my upper right side, behind my rib cage, which radiates around to my back. Digestive problems are also an issue - I am always full and cannot eat without getting heartburn. A CAT scan showed that I have scar tissue that has attached to my intestine since the gall bladder surgery. The doctor says that this is the cause of the digestive problems. He says that removal of this tissue may result in more scar tissue and I would have the same problem. I am 29 years old and need to know what can be done to help. The constant pain prevents me from doing alot of things that I did before. Please help!!! I would like to be able to go about the day without pain AND be able to eat without feeling full or sick all of the time. I am interested to know what you have to say.

I also had my gall bladder removed and now have pain under my right rib cage and around to my back and I also have lower right lower quadrant pain . I had a colonoscopy today and found nothing. I'm not sure what to do next. The pain seems to come and go but is getting more frequent . I also get very bloated after I eat. I didn't realize other people are going through the same thing.

Doctors were not sure about the root of the pain because I also have spondolithesis of my spine. I had first a laser surgery of the spine and six months after an abdominal surgery in which they placed a Veritas collagen matrix graft but after both surgeries I continued in pain, exactly the same, no change. Suddenly after four month of the last surgery my pain dissappeared completely. The doctors told me that it should not take four months. I had no pain starting in the months of June/July, I was pain-free due to the Summer time, the good wheather? I also started in the summertime taking 2 laxative pills every single night, , was that the reason? I don't know but just wanting to help I am explaining what I did to take away the pain.