Acute cholecystitis following the surgical treatment of spinal deformities in the adult: a report of three cases.

Acute cholecystitis following the surgical treatment of spinal deformities in the adult is reported in three cases. Although acute cholecystitis is not a rare postoperative complication, it is relatively unknown to orthopedic surgeons and has been seldom reported in the orthopedic literature. A review of the literature dealing with the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations reveals that postoperative cholecystitis is a life-endangering complication which should be promptly recognized. The occurrence of upper quadrant abdominal pain, accompanied by fever, tachycardia and signs of peritoneal irritation after any major orthopedic procedure, should alert the surgeon to the possibility of postoperative cholecystitis. Considering the high incidence of gangrene and perforation of the gallbladder, cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice.