Deranged liver function tests following laparoscopic cholecystectomy: What would Occam have to say?

Postoperative complications can pose a significant obstacle in the ongoing management of surgical patients. However, it is pertinent to remember that postoperative events are not always complications of the preceding operation. We present the case of a patient with calculous cholecystitis and gallbl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 2016-09, Vol.98 (7), p.e147-e149
Main Authors: Miller, R, Appleton, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Bile
Cholecystectomy
Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic - adverse effects
Cholecystitis - complications
Cholecystitis - diagnosis
Cholecystitis - surgery
Diagnosis, Differential
Disease
Family medical history
Gallbladder
Gallbladder diseases
Gallstones
Hepatitis
Hepatitis A - complications
Hepatitis A - diagnosis
Humans
Infections
Laparoscopy
Liver
Liver Function Tests
Male
Middle Aged
Online Case Report
Pain
Patients
Postoperative Period
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Summary:Postoperative complications can pose a significant obstacle in the ongoing management of surgical patients. However, it is pertinent to remember that postoperative events are not always complications of the preceding operation. We present the case of a patient with calculous cholecystitis and gallbladder empyema who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Postoperatively, he continued to have right upper quadrant pain associated with abnormal liver function tests. Ultimately, the cause of his postoperative symptoms was rather prosaic and ran counter to Occam's razor, the relevance of which is discussed below.
ISSN:0035-8843
1478-7083
DOI:10.1308/rcsann.2016.0190