Gallbladder surgery but still in pain? It’s more common than you think. Sometimes, the gallstones seen on imaging—or even a poorly functioning gallbladder on a HIDA scan (which, to be honest, I still have my reservations about considering an actual diagnosis) aren’t the cause of your pain. They can be incidental findings. What we’re seeing as well, believe it or not, is that those with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) can react to the titanium surgical clip used to close off the cystic duct.