Spontaneous Discharge of Spilled Gallstones Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Abstract

We encountered a case of a spontaneous discharge of spilled gallstones six years after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A 65-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with the complaints of right back pain and fever 15 months after cholecystectomy. Computed tomography (CT) revealed calcified foreign bodies within an abscess in Morisson’s fossa and the right subphrenic space. Drainage was scheduled, but the patient developed right lower lobe pneumonia. The operation was canceled and the patient was discharged from the hospital. However, 6 years after the cholecystectomy, the patient observed spontaneous discharge of the stones. CT showed that some stones had moved from Morisson’s fossa to the back and subcutaneous areas. The right subphrenic stones were stable. Spilled gallstones are associated with a small, but quantifiably real risk of a wide range of significant postoperative problems. Surgeons should take care not to injure the gallbladder and try to prevent the spillage of gallstones. Spontaneous discharge of spilled gallstones is very rare.