topic Re: Gallbladder Surgery in Wellness

Gallbladder Surgery

Nightowlz — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:03:51 GMT

Have you had your gallbladder removed? Did you have problems after? Like running to the bathroom. Did you have to change how you ate after? I need to have mine removed but I'm a big chicken. Mines getting worse. I have had 2 ultrasounds which showed no gallstones. I had a Hida Scan & it showed was only working a small %. That was almost 3 yrs ago. The pain on my right back side started 10 yrs or more & has slowly gotten worse. Seems like it flares up every 4-5 wks & hurts a lot for a about a week until the next flare up. I guess I still have in the back of my mind that my grandmother died when she had gallbladder surgery when she was in her 80's.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

CareBears — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:11:41 GMT

@Nightowlz I have had my Gallbladder removed several years ago, besides being a little sore for a few days after surgery I do not remember having to do anything different then taking it slow for a few days.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

patticakes — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:18:08 GMT

Gallbladder surgery is much easier these days. Usually, you just have a little soreness or tenderness for a week or so and it's so much less pain than constantly having attacks. I had mine removed about six years ago and if I had known it was as easy as it was, I woldn't have endured years of pain. Yes, for some people, your digestive system may operate a little differently and you will have to get used to that, if that's the case with you, but definitely not worth years of enduring that awful pain.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

NickNack — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:18:38 GMT

I had my gallbladder removed a little over ten years ago. I have had no problems since. It sounds like you really need to have the surgery.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

chrystaltree — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:23:29 GMT

It's not your grandmother's surgery anymore. Have you even seen a surgeon or you just assuming you need surgery? It's done laparoscopically through a scope these days, they rarely do an open procedure. It's ambulatory or day surgery. You are in the hospital for 24 hours or less and you leave with bandaid. You have to take it easy for a week and then you are free to go back to your regular routine. They advise a low fat diet for a couple of weeks and then you it's a matter of trial and error. We all have different bodies, some people can't tolerate fatty foods without their gallbladder, some can eat fats like they always did and some fall somewhere in between. You'll figure it out. My sister had her surgery 10 years ago and she can't eat fatty foods, she experiences nausea and diarrhea when she does. I had mine out 20 years ago and I can tolerate fatty foods just fine. When they book the surgery for you, they'll explain everything to you. If you have questions or don't understand something....ask for clarification.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

embgm — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:23:35 GMT

My immediate family has 7 people in it. Six of seven have had their gallbladder removed. Our family definitely had defective gallbladders. We are all alive and well. I was 31 years old and was 3 1/2 months pregnant. My recovery was very slow as I lost 25 pounds( half of it before the surgery because of nausea). You will probably have laparoscopic surgery and be released the same day. Your body will adjust quickly to not having your gallbladder. I did not run to the bathroom and have had no issues.Good luck! Em

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

tansy — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:24:34 GMT

I had mine removed laparoscopically a few years ago. Easiest surgery I have ever had. I didn't have any problems afterwards with diet, etc.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

Carmie — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:31:07 GMT

I remember when my mother had her gallbladder removed many years ago. The incision was huge and she was in a lot of pain afterwards. This used to be major surgery.

I had my gallbladder out with the small incisions surgical procedure. I like you, keep putting it off until I was in so much pain, I couldn't go another day. Every time I ate something like spare ribs or salad dressing, I'd be doubled over.

The surgery was painless afterward and I had no complications. I should have had it done much sooner. I can eat what I want to with no bathroom problems.

A coworker of mine had gallbladder surgery right after me. She waited too long and had complications due to an infection and they had to open her up with a large incision. She was off of work for six weeks afterward.

If gallbladder pain is getting worse for you, please have it removed before problems set in. It really is an easy surgery from a patient's point of view and the relief from pain is wonderful.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

itsmagic — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:42:06 GMT

@Nightowlz I have a similar situation. I have no gallstones but they did say I have polyps in my gallbladder (which they explained are not like having polyps in colon). I also had the Hida scan and my gallbladder seems to be working fine. I've had right sided pain on and off for maybe 10 years. It's not a horrible pain - just enough to know it's there. I've been sent to a surgeon and he is willing to take it out but didn't push it. So me being worried that I might trade one problem for another (like changes in how things work after it is gone) I'm still living with it!

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

happycat — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 18:23:44 GMT

@Nightowlz, I had mine removed several years ago, and didn't have any issues. I eat whatever I want, no problem. From what I can recall, it wasn't bad at all.

My dh had his removed week before last. Surgery started at 10:47am, (I remember, a nurse texted me) and we were on our way home a little before 2:00. I thought that was a little quick, honestly.

Anyway, he has done well. Wasn't very hungry for a few days, ate mainly soups, munched different kinds of crackers.

The dr. said he had no restrictions, and that was prior to the surgery. Asked about dh's job, told him he could go back when he felt like it. He had the surgery on Thurs and went back to work the following Tues. He has an office job.

You will want to have some stool softeners and laxatives on hand, hope not tmi, but pain med make it necessary for a lot of us.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

feline groovy — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 18:42:28 GMT

Yep - in 2009, after seriously painful gallstones with mild pancreatitis.

No biggie (much less invasive); just a little sore at the incision site for a bit.

The gallbadder stores bile to help digest foods, so just cut back on everything high in bad (trans or saturated) fat.

Your GI system will let you know if you occasionally mess up. ;-)

BTW, I've had decades-long IBS and GERD and neither worsened after the surgery.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

RedTop — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 19:05:43 GMT

Both of my adult daughters lost their gall bladders within 10 months of each other, 2 years ago. Prior to surgery, both had worsening back pain, trouble eating, and gastric problems their doctors couldn't pinpoint. They pretty much lived on Sprite, sweet tea, and grilled chicken. With both, I suggested they insist on testing for their gallbladder, and their gallbladder functions came back below 25%.

My trucker daughter gets sick from anesthesia, so she had that to deal with for a few days post-op, but otherwise they were just sore. Walking takes the soreness out, so besides their steps inside the house, they were able to get outside and walk. My teacher daughter was in her classroom for the first day of school 5 days after her surgery. Trucker daughter was off work for 4 weeks, strictly because she has to be able to lift 50 lbs in order to do her job; she had to wait until she was fully healed.

Both have to watch what they eat, as they still have issues with diarrhea.

My advice is that you start making arrangements to remove that diseased gallbladder. I assure you that you absolutely do not want that gallbladder to stop functioning, possibly rupture, or turn septic. Gallstones are the least of your concern.

I lost a great uncle in the mid 60's to a septic infection from a gangrenous gallbladder.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

hoosieroriginal — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 19:40:14 GMT

My neighbor has to run to the bathroom after we eat whenever we go out. She told me it's because she had her gallbladder out - don't know - but she said she never had the problem before her surgery.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

Scooby Doo — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 20:16:59 GMT

I had mine out two years ago. I didn't realize that mine was as bad as it was because I didn't have the attacks that people talk about. I went to a superbowl party and ate everything a person shouldn't eat, and a beer, and that was the end of it. Went to the doctor the next day because I was so sick. The hida scan showed that my gallbladder had quit working completly. I was so sick. At that point I tried getting an appt with a surgeon and couldn't get in anywhere that I called. I ended up in the ER one evening. They called in the on-call surgeon. Poor guy. He showed up at 10 pm even tho he had surgeries scheduled for early the next morning. Had surgery and was in the hospital 3 days due to the infection. I was pretty sore for about 5 days, but they have meds for that. Everyone is different as far as diet goes. You'll just have to do the trial and error thing. And yes, some people have the "dumping syndrome". You'll have to find out what your triggers are. I take Ox Bile and that helps. I avoid nuts, refined sugars and spicy food.

Anyway, short story long, take care of it before it becomes an emergency situation. Eventually it will quit working and you have to do something about it anyway. Do it while you can plan when and where.

Gall bladder not taken care of can lead to pancreatitis, and you don't want that.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

tansy — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 20:18:42 GMT

@hoosieroriginal wrote:
My neighbor has to run to the bathroom after we eat whenever we go out. She told me it's because she had her gallbladder out - don't know - but she said she never had the problem before her surgery.

I think the bathroom issues were more of a problem before laparoscopic techniques, @hoosieroriginal.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

Nightowlz — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 20:35:05 GMT

@chrystaltree wrote:
It's not your grandmother's surgery anymore. Have you even seen a surgeon or you just assuming you need surgery? It's done laparoscopically through a scope these days, they rarely do an open procedure. It's ambulatory or day surgery. You are in the hospital for 24 hours or less and you leave with bandaid. You have to take it easy for a week and then you are free to go back to your regular routine. They advise a low fat diet for a couple of weeks and then you it's a matter of trial and error. We all have different bodies, some people can't tolerate fatty foods without their gallbladder, some can eat fats like they always did and some fall somewhere in between. You'll figure it out. My sister had her surgery 10 years ago and she can't eat fatty foods, she experiences nausea and diarrhea when she does. I had mine out 20 years ago and I can tolerate fatty foods just fine. When they book the surgery for you, they'll explain everything to you. If you have questions or don't understand something....ask for clarification.

@chrystaltree I said in my original post I did not have gallstones but the Hida Scan showed my gallbladder was not working. My previous doctor told me when I was ready for surgery to let him know & he would send me to the surgeon. I never did that. That was almost 3 yrs ago.

I was throwing up yellow stuff when I had my last attack. I figure it's bile but not sure. It was not burning like it did when I had acid reflux & I thought the bile would burn???

I have a problem with the fatty foods now. We had steak last night & there is still over half of it left in the refrigerator. I just don't want to eat big chunks of beef anymore.

I see my doctor on the 4th so I will ask him some more about it. I don't really want to have surgery but I don't want to end up in the ER either.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

aubnwa01 — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 20:44:53 GMT

I had my GB removed about 10 years ago. I think it had started giving me problems about a year prior, but I was in the middle of retiring, selling a house in one state & moving to another & ignored the symptoms, which tended to flare at night & then, subside before morning.

Finally, I had a flare one night & rather than subsiding, it kept getting worse & worse, so about 2am I drove myself to the ER. They ran a bunch of tests & scans & determined that I had a gallstone lodged in the duct & also had pancreatitis & my liver enzymes were all out of whack.

I was admitted & the surgeon came & examined me & determined that I wasn't in urgent need of surgery that night, so he scheduled me for surgery 1st thing in the AM. He had to poke an extra hole to stick a scope in to visualize my GB because it was so enlarged, but the surgery went fine.

I went home the following day (& even drove myself home after I refused the pain meds so they'd clear me to drive) & picked up a Rx for the meds on the way home & was hurting a lot by that time.

By a week or so later I was fine & haven't had any more problems. I also notice that I have to use the bathroom soon after eating, but I never thought that could be from having my GB out. Interesting.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

hoosieroriginal — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 20:49:04 GMT

@tansy wrote:
@hoosieroriginal wrote:
My neighbor has to run to the bathroom after we eat whenever we go out. She told me it's because she had her gallbladder out - don't know - but she said she never had the problem before her surgery.
I think the bathroom issues were more of a problem before laparoscopic techniques, @hoosieroriginal.

@tansy - to tell you the truth, not sure how long ago it has been that she had her surgery - it could have been before laproscopic techniques. I do know people who haven't had that problem after the surgery.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

Catty2 — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 21:03:17 GMT

I had mine out about 9 years ago. It was my first surgery and everything went very well. It was laproscopic surgery and I didn't even need any pain meds afterwards. The surgeon was excellent.

Re: Gallbladder Surgery

Kachina624 — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 21:44:42 GMT

I had mine removed the old-fashioned surgical way after a horrendously painful attack in 1970. I got an infection in the incision the week I came home from the hospital, which was miserable. As soon as that cleared up, I was fine. No side effects, have always eaten whatever I wanted.

I had the surgery because I was afraid of having another attack at an inconvenient time like while on vacation, etc.