Sorry to hear your struggles continue. I can relate.
I've had the same sort of trouble you've described. I've got a long history with endometriosis and adenomyosis stretching over the past 20 years. I've had numerous surgeries for the endo and adenomyosis including hysterectomy, oopherectomy & bowel resections to name a few.
Obviously I've also had a history of adhesions and have had to deal with them also but don't have them as severe as many here do. I count my blessings for that.
I had right upper quadrant pain for years and years and years. Doctors were giving me the runaround most of that time sending me back and forth between my PCP, a GI specialist, my gyn etc. I'm sure you know the drill. Eventually my gallbladder was removed in Nov. 1999. Pathology showed acalculus cholecystitis and chronic cholecystitis. In a nutshell it meant I had a chronically inflammed gallbladder with the absence of stones. Removing my gallbladder seemed to bring relief but it only lasted for a very short few months before there was pain again.
Over the past 4 years I've been to doctor after doctor chasing this RUQ pain. Like yours, my pain is directly beneath my right ribs and wraps around my back. At a laparoscopic surgery I had in January 2003 I had the doc check out the area to try and see what the problem was. The op report states "the area above the liver was inspected. There was an area of attachment to the posterior aspect of the diaphragm. This area had a vascular appearance and concern for the hepatic vein in this area resulted in a decision not to remove this area." I guess that's saying there are adhesions there. I haven't been able to figure out if it's my liver attached to my diaphragm by adhesions or what. All I know is I have pain. I do have a video tape from the surgery and I think I'll take it to get a second opinion.
I've been seeing a GI specialist about this for several months. He's a new doctor for me but highly recognized in our area for his expertise. He recently left a 14 year professorship at Stanford University Medical Center to enter into private practice. He suggested the possibiilty that I had Post Cholecystectomy Syndrome which apparently is not unusual. One test he recommended was ERCP with possible sphincterotomy.
I had the test done a week ago and the sphincterotomy was performed.
Apparently after gallbladder removal there can be stenosis and scarring which narrows the sphincter of oddi or other branches in the biliary tree. When this happens it can result in pain that mimicks gall bladder attacks because bile is not allowed to properly drain. Unfortunately for me the procedure didn't relieve my pain. What it did do was relieve pressure that I've felt in the RUQ. I'm going back to the GI doc next Tuesday to see where I go from here.
Knowing endo like I do I'd have to say that there's a good chance endo is still causing you some of your pain. The right upper quadrant pain can be many things as I'm finding out.
I just wanted you to know you are not alone in this. If you ever want to correspond with me privately, feel free to do so. My e-mail address is Tigger 6040 @ aol.com (remove all spaces)
Best wishes, Debbie