For six years, Jasmine Rodriguez’s abdominal pain would come out of the blue—whether she had just eaten, was having a conversation, or recording her “Jersey Girl” show for California radio station KMBY.

“I was told that the pain I was experiencing was because I was overweight. I lost 60 pounds, but I still had the pain. I couldn’t walk at times. It was debilitating,” said Jasmine. “Every test I took came back fine, but I knew it wasn’t all in my head.”

In August 2022, Jasmine was referred to Virtua surgeon Jeffrey Emrich, DO, FACOS, FASMBS. A hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan revealed that her gallbladder—a small sac that stores bile and releases it into the small intestine to help digest food—was functioning at only 8%.

Dr. Emrich diagnosed Jasmine with biliary dyskinesia, a condition when the muscles in the gallbladder do not contract properly to squeeze out bile. The bile backs up in the gallbladder, causing pain in the upper abdomen and nausea.

“It’s frustrating when you’re having real symptoms and there is nothing identifiable on an ultrasound or CT scan,” said Dr. Emrich. “There is no medication to effectively treat biliary dyskinesia. The only resolution is to have your gallbladder removed.”

Less Gallbladder Pain, Fast Recovery

A few weeks later, Jasmine underwent robotic-assisted surgery at Virtua Mount Holly Hospital. Dr. Emrich removed her gallbladder and scar tissue from a previous procedure through four small incisions in her abdomen.

Jasmine left the hospital the same day. Within a week, she was beginning to return to her normal activities.

A key benefit of robotic-assisted surgery, said Dr. Emrich, is a faster recovery with less post-operative discomfort.

“Her long-term outlook is great. You can live a perfectly normal life without a gallbladder,” he said. “You are able to eat and drink anything, with no restrictions on your diet.”

Keeping Them Laughing

Now living in Florida, Jasmine says she is grateful for the care provided by Dr. Emrich and the hospital staff.

“They were proactive in making me comfortable and answered all my questions. I think they were entertained with my personality, and that made me feel at ease,” she said. “After surgery, I was in a little bit of pain. They immediately gave me something for the pain and tissues to blow my nose. Everyone was so caring and professional.”

Jasmine no longer worries when the next bout of pain will come on. Instead, she’s keeping everyone around her smiling and laughing.

“I can eat a burger or shrimp and crab with butter, and not have pain afterward. I can pick up one of my grandkids and not be in pain,” she said. “I can move, I can walk. Wow, this is life!”

Make an Appointment

Abdominal pain is no laughing matter. If you need surgery, Virtua has many doctors specializing in minimally invasive and robotic-assisted techniques. Make an appointment with a surgeon near you.