Acute Cholecystitis in a Gastric Bypass Patient Complicated by Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

Gallbladder disease is a common condition after gastric bypass surgery. Even after weight loss, many bariatric patients continue to suffer from comorbid conditions. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare condition that mimics acute cardiac ischemia but seems to be caused by a catecholamine storm triggered by intense stress. Case Report. A 62-year-old female presented with acute right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain to the ER. She had a history of laparoscopic gastric bypass 5 years ago and had been noncompliant for 2 years. This noncompliance included missing follow-up appointments, gaining weight which caused poorly controlled DM, and not taking her vitamin supplements. Upon presentation, her WBC was elevated, her LFTs were normal, and imaging showed acute calculous cholecystitis. She was admitted and started on antibiotics with plans for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The next day, she developed acute chest pain, and troponins were elevated with ST changes on EKG. Echocardiography showed a ballooned left ventricle indicative for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Symptomatic treatment including antibiotics, betablocker, and thiamine infusion was initiated. At three-month follow-up, ejection fraction had improved from <20% to >50%. The patient underwent interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which was technically very challenging due to severe ongoing acute and chronic cholecystitis. There were no cardiac issues, but the patient developed an abscess in the gallbladder fossa, which was successfully treated with oral antibiotics.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy complicating acute cholecystitis has thus far not been reported. Our patient had a history of gastric bypass and was noncompliant with vitamin supplementation. Thiamine deficiency may have contributed to the cardiac condition (wet beriberi).