38-year-old Man in Surgery — 38yo Man | General Surgery | SMLE Q#7168
SMLE Question #7168
Surgery
General Surgery
Objective: OBJ-TRACH-EMERG-01
Last updated: February 2026
A 38-year-old man is postoperative day 3 after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. He reports new mild right upper quadrant pain. Examination shows mild right upper quadrant tenderness without guarding or rebound; incisions are clean and dry. He tolerates small sips of clear fluids but has markedly reduced intake due to fear of pain and has dry mucous membranes. What is the most likely cause of his current findings?
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