Yasmin gallbladder disease can be caused by gallstones that block the passage of bile through the cystic duct. The stones can form as the result of higher cholesterol levels and less frequent contractions of your gall bladder. Both have been reported in women who use Yasmin birth control pills.

When gallstones form, they can remain within your gallbladder or migrate into the cystic duct. In both cases, the stones can cause bile to become trapped within the organ. Trapped bile results in the release of inflammatory enzymes. These enzymes trigger gallbladder attacks.

The most common form of treatment for symptomatic Yasmin gallbladder disease is to surgically remove your gall bladder. This is accomplished with a procedure called cholecystectomy. While doctors routinely tell patients that the operation is safe, there are potential side effects that are seldom addressed.

Damage To The Common Bile Duct

Bile duct injury is one of the most common - and dangerous - complications of gallbladder removal surgery. While severing the organ's connections to its surrounding structures, the surgeon may inadvertently tear the lining of the duct. This can cause a leak through which bile seeps into the abdominal cavity. Leakage that results from common bile duct damage lays the foundation for infection. Left untreated, the infection can enter your bloodstream and become systemic.

Gallbladder removal surgery can be performed through an open procedure or laparoscopy. Because laparoscopy is minimally invasive and offers a shorter recovery period, it is more common than open surgery. However, it also poses a higher risk of bile duct damage (though this risk is declining as surgeons become more skilled with laparoscopic cholecystectomy).

Missed Yasmin Gallstones

Gallstones that have migrated from your gall bladder into the common bile duct can be missed by the surgeon who is performing cholecystectomy. After the removal of your gallbladder, the elusive stones can fall into your abdominal cavity. In addition to infection, they can cause abscesses and further obstruction. The only way to resolve this problem is with open surgery.

Recurring Abdominal Pain And Chronic Diarrhea

Patients who have had their gallbladders removed occasionally experience episodes of abdominal pain that are similar to a gallbladder attack. The underlying cause may be a problem in the function of the Sphincter of Oddi. This is a group of muscles at the end of your common bile duct that allow bile and pancreatic secretions to flow into your small intestine. If these muscles malfunction and prevent the secretions from passing, inflammation can occur. This is what causes the abdominal pain.

Chronic diarrhea is another potential aftereffect of gallbladder removal surgery. The problem stems from how bile contributes to the digestion of fats present within your small intestine. Normally, bile is stored within your gallbladder until it is needed to help digest fats. When food enters your small intestine, a hormone called cholecystokinin is released, which causes your gall bladder to contract. Bile is propelled into the bile duct and flows into your duodenum.

After surgery, your gallbladder is no longer available to store bile. Instead, bile fluid trickles from your liver into your duodenum. When foods with a high fat content enter your small intestine, the call for concentrated bile goes unheeded. As a result, high-fat foods cannot be digested properly, leading to diarrhea.

Is gallbladder removal surgery safe? In most cases, yes. But, there are potential side effects that can have dangerous and lasting results. If you have suffered Yasmin gallbladder disease or developed gallstones after using this oral contraceptive, take the time to explore your legal rights.