Table of Contents
How does your gallbladder affect your shoulder?
When your gallbladder is inflamed and swollen, it irritates your phrenic nerve. Your phrenic nerve stretches from the abdomen, through the chest, and into your neck. Each time you eat a fatty meal, it aggravates the nerve and causes referred pain in your right shoulder blade.
What are the signs of infection after gallbladder surgery?
Infection. Some people develop a wound or internal infection after a gallbladder removal. Signs of a possible infection include increasing pain, swelling or redness, and pus leaking from a wound. See your GP if you develop these symptoms, as you may need a short course of antibiotics.
Which shoulder hurts after laparoscopy?
One type of pain that is unique to laparoscopy is the post laparoscopy shoulder pain due to the phrenic nerve irritation to the diaphragm caused by the CO2 gas that remains in the abdomen at the end of the procedure. When the patient sits up, the gas moves upwards to the diaphragm and irritates the shoulder.
How do I get rid of shoulder pain after laparoscopy?
Gas pain in the shoulder following laparoscopic surgery can be reduced by:
- walking around, taking a hot shower, and lying on your side.
- drinking hot liquids like tea and soup as well as plenty of water and fluids with electrolytes.
What causes shoulder pain after surgery?
Shoulder pain after laparoscopic surgery has been thought to be due to the irritation of the phrenic nerve, which may be mainly caused by insufflated carbon dioxide. However, shoulder pain can be caused by stretching of the shoulder, which is constrained by many muscles and ligaments.
What does gallbladder pain in the shoulder feel like?
When there is a gall bladder disease such as inflammation of the gall bladder with resulting swelling, the phrenic nerve gets irritated. In addition to the local pain in the abdomen, especially following fatty meals, a dull pain is felt in the right shoulder.
Why does my neck hurt after gallbladder surgery?
Any carbon dioxide gas that remains in your body can cause neck and shoulder pain. Your gallbladder may leak bile into your abdomen during or after surgery. This can cause a severe infection or an abscess.