What causes swelling and pain in upper stomach after gall bladder removal?
Patient: Female 54 years old. Had gall bladder  removed 6 months ago. Pain now in upper stomach under bra area in center of chest. The size of swelling is palm size. Did a lot of gardening on weekend, so wondering if pulled muscle. Seems like no muscles in that area though. Doctor: Hello,This looks to me like so called postcholecystectomy syndrome which has all these symptoms and this occurs in about 10% of patients who undergo cholecystectomy, usually can be transient, and rarely persistent or lifelong. Symptoms include systemic symptoms such as sweating and heat sense but also dyspepsia, nausea and vomiting, flatulence, bloating, and diarrhea, and persistent pain in the upper right abdomen. Some individuals may benefit from diet modification, such as a reduced fat diet, following cholecystectomy since it may be more difficult for digestion of fatty foods. Postcholecystectomy syndrome treatment depends on the identified violations that led to it. Typically, the patient is recommended the dietary restriction table with fatty foods, enzyme preparations, antispasmodics, sometimes oral ursodeoxycholic acid can alleviate the condition.Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.Regards,Dr. Ivan R. Rommstein