Question

The nurse is preparing to discharge a client following a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The nurse should:

Tell the client to avoid a tub bath for 48 hours.
Tell the client to expect clay-colored stools.
Tell the client that she can expect lower abdominal pain for the next week.
Tell the client to report pain in the back or shoulders.

Answer 1

The nurse should advise 4. the client to report any back or shoulder pain after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Such symptoms can indicate postoperative complications.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should inform 4. the client to report any pain in the back or shoulders.

This is important because such pain could indicate complications like a leak from the bile duct or referred pain due to carbon dioxide gas used during the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which may have become trapped under the diaphragm.

The patient, Roberta, who underwent this surgery, should be aware that the laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a procedure to remove gallstones and that the gallbladder stores and concentrates bile.

The procedure usually does not severely affect digestion as bile is still produced by the liver, although it's more dilute and secreted continuously into the intestines rather than in response to food.

Roberta should also take note that experiencing abdominal pain and a high fever may indicate an infection and that she was correct to report these symptoms to her surgeon as per postoperative instructions.