Gallbladder stone disease developing after orthotopic cardiac transplantation: Is laparoscopic cholecystectomy a safe procedure? A Case Report

Abstract

Cardiac transplant surgery is being performed with increasing frequency as a treatment for end-stage heart diseases. In addition to the well-known post-surgical problems of rejection and infection, these patients may present at a future date with other medical problems which require surgical treatment, including biliary stone disease. Patients undergoing heart transplantation may be prone to general surgical complications. Biliary tract diseases are among the most frequently reported complications and may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality, especially in the early period after transplantation. The spectrum of problems ranges from asymptomatic cholelithiasis to fulminant cholecystitis, cholangitis, and gallstone pancreatitis. We herein report a 36-year-old immunosuppressed heart transplant patient who underwent successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder stones.