Deranged liver function tests following laparoscopic cholecystectomy: What would Occam have to say?

Postoperative complications can pose a significant obstacle in the ongoing management of surgical patients. However, it is pertinent to remember that postoperative events are not always complications of the preceding operation. We present the case of a patient with calculous cholecystitis and gallbladder empyema who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Postoperatively, he continued to have right upper quadrant pain associated with abnormal liver function tests. Ultimately, the cause of his postoperative symptoms was rather prosaic and ran counter to Occam's razor, the relevance of which is discussed below.