Ruptured hepatic subcapsular hematoma following laparoscopic cholecystectomy: report of a case

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now a standard procedure for cholecystolithiasis because of its minimally invasive nature compared to the conventional method. However, severe complications that have never been seen for open surgery have also been reported. Here, we report the case of a 28-year-old woman who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and then developed a ruptured subcapsular hematoma. On postoperative day 1, she developed shock, and postoperative bleeding was suspected. During re-operation, a ruptured subcapsular hematoma of the whole right lobe of the liver with active bleeding was found, and hemostasis was achieved. In this case, it was assumed that the rupture of the subcapsular hematoma was due to compression of the liver by the clamp for retrieving the spilled gallstones during the first operation and perioperative administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.