Mild Guarding in Surgery — 26yo Man | General Surgery | SMLE Q#11202

SMLE Question #11202

Surgery General Surgery

Objective: OBJ-TRACH-EMERG-01

Last updated: February 2026
Three days after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity, a 26-year-old man develops worsening left upper abdominal pain radiating to the left shoulder, nausea, and mild shortness of breath. He is alert and uncomfortable. Abdominal exam shows left upper quadrant tenderness with mild guarding; the surgical wounds are clean. What is the most likely diagnosis?

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