Abdominal wall abscess containing gallstones as a late complication to laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed 17 years earlier

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the preferred surgical treatment for symptomatic gallstones. The laparoscopic procedure is superior to the open approach in many aspects. Intraperitoneal spillage of bile and gallstones is one of the most common accidental occurrences of LC. We present a case of a 53-year-old woman who developed two abscesses--one intra-abdominally and one in the abdominal wall-17 years after an LC. Three gallstones were found during surgical excision of the abdominal wall abscess. Surgeons should strive to avoid perforation of the gall bladder during LC. If spillage is inevitable attempts should be made to laparoscopically extract as many stones as possible. Documentation of (suspected) spillage is paramount when evaluating the possibility of postoperative complications, even many years later.