Gallbladder / Bile Duct Malpractice

Gallbladder surgery, commonly referred to as Cholecystectomy is the removal of the gallbladder. It is typically used to treat gallstones.  Many surgeons prefer to the procedure laparoscopically.  As is common with any surgery, that are various costs and benefits of the procedure being performed laparoscopically. When performed as an open procedure, the surgeon begins with a roughly 6 inch incision through abdominal muscle and tissue resulting in an overnight hospitalization and a lengthy recovery at home.  The laparoscopic procedure on the other hand, is requires no such incision and instead is accomplished with a series of small incision to allow the laparoscopic instruments to be inserted. When performed properly a laparoscopic cholecystectomy or gallbladder surgery can be performed in about an hour allowing the patient to return home the same day and often resume regular activity in a matter of days. Laparoscopic Gallbladder surgery complications arise when the surgeon mistakes the cystic duct with the common bile duct.  The cystic duct needs to be cut to allow the gallbladder to be removed.  The common bile duct, connecting the gallbladder to the liver poses the most significant risk in Gallbladder surgery, and perhaps all laparoscopic surgeries.The common bile duct contains significant amounts of bile. Bile is a green or yellow fluid created in the liver to aid in the digestion of food.  Bile is especially effective at emulsifying fats.  It does not take much of an imagination to conjure up ideas of what this liquid could do if it spills into a patients body.  Unfortunately, this is exactly what occurs when a surgeon nicks the bile duct while performing laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. Significant nicks or cuts of the bile duct require an entirely separate surgery to fix.  If if performed immediately, this additional surgery may not be enough to reverse the effects of a nicked or severed bile duct. When bile leaks into the patient’s body it can cause a serious and painful infection.  It is not uncommon for patients to require months of hospitalization to recover from this serious condition. Other cut bile duct complications can include: abscess, jaundice, pain, additional surgeries, digestive problems, and sometimes death. A laparoscopic gallbladder surgery malpractice case typically requires showing one of two things: 1) that the surgeon was not sufficiently aware of his or her patient to recognize the bile duct was being cut, or 2) there were prior complications or difficulties visualizing the surgery that should have resulted in the surgeon converting to an open procedure. Because of the serious complications caused by a nicked or cut bile duct, it is important to handle the case aggressively and without unnecessary delay. Our New Mexico bile duct surgery malpractice lawyers have a team of expert doctors who can quickly review medical records and provide initial opinions regarding the possible gallbladder surgery malpractice case within a matter of days.