The treatment of dropsy of the gall-bladder by operation (cholecystotomy) : with notes of a successful case / by George Brown.

  • Brown, George.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The treatment of dropsy of the gall-bladder by operation (cholecystotomy) : with notes of a successful case / by George Brown. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    impacted gall-stone. “For if a gall stone,it might possibly”, he reasons, “have been removed, or if inflammation, the relief of the tension might have allowed it to subside and the duct to become pervious ; and even if these results had not been obtained, the dangers of an operation and a permanent biliary fistula are at least not greater than those of con- tinued obstruction.” The above case is of great interest and extreme value, as it throws considerable light on the class of cases that are likely to be benefited by the performance of cholecystotomy. In this case (and I believe the same may be said of Dr. Sims’ case) the dropsy of the gall-bladder was the result of long-continued obstruction of the ductus communis choledochus. When this is the case, opening the gall-bladder and evacuating its contents cannot be expected to do more than afford tem- porary relief. The case is very different when the cystic duct is the seat of obstruction, as in all probability was the condition in my case. In these circumstances, provided the operation is not delayed until the patient is nearly dead from exhaustion, the gall-bladder may, in my opinion, be opened with great hope of effecting a permanent cure.