What is a cholecystectomy? And what is the expected recovery period for a two-year old dog?
Cholecystectomy is the removal of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a storage reservoir for bile, which is formed by the liver. This procedure is usually performed when the gallbladder is inflamed or infected, when gall stones form, when cancer of the gallbladder is present or in cases where trauma has ruptured it.
Recovery times and prognoses depend on the reason for the surgery. In the case of infections without rupture, animals may be hospitalized for only a few days, and their activity level restricted until suture removal (in 10 to 14 days). In the case of rupture, which results in peritonitis (inflammation or infection of the abdominal wall lining), hospitalization may be several days to a week or more. As a result of the peritonitis, dog patients usually will come out of surgery in very critical condition; many will die post-operatively. In the case of cancer, prognosis depends on the type of tumor, whether or not the gallbladder had ruptured, and how completely the tumor was removed. Some tumors invade surrounding vital tissues, which may make complete excision impossible.
You need to discuss your concerns with your veterinarian and make sure that you fully understand why the procedure is being performed and what to expect during recovery. Potential complications of this procedure include leakage of bile into the abdomen, with resulting generalized peritonitis, shock, infection and potential death. Other less common complications would include biliary cysts and pseudocysts, which occur infrequently when hepatic (liver) ducts are ligated (surgically tied to close the ducts' openings), reflux gastritis, and incisional complications of abdominal surgery. These complications are especially prevalent in cases where perforation or rupture of the gallbladder has occurred.
Cholecystectomy is considered major abdominal surgery. Communication between you and your veterinarian is crucial. Because of the technical difficulty and potentially severe complications of this procedure, many veterinarians choose to refer these cases to more experienced surgeons.
10/06/00
