Gallbladder surgery

[tiffykay06]

Has anyone had their gallbladder removed? I am getting schedule to have mine removed and was wondering if anyone had any personal experiences or recommendations to share.

 

[whitebronc]

I have not, my wife and sister-in-law. have had this done. you will get 3-4 holes in your abdomen its a quick healing procedure, and its much less evasive then it was. If they can get it out that way, they might have to use the scalpel that is much more involved process. hopefully they can do it with the scopes. you will be sore for a while, and have a few little scars.

Wishing you the best.

 

[bulldogs4me]

I've had it done ... (for me) it wasn't that bad, I have a high pain threshold so I was able to use Ibuprofen for the pain and soon as I was awake I wanted out of that dang bed to walk around, the nurses told me that was the best thing I could have done. Good luck, hope all goes well for you too

 

[HrsDiva]

I had phantom pains for about a year. But make sure you burp the gas out or you'll be in a world of hurt...

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[ChrisRN]

I had it done several years ago. There are some lasting effects from having it out, but the absence of pain from your gall bladder will be worth it!

 

[Telly03]

I was passing gallstones, which is very painful, so the Doc recommended having my gallbladder removed... my biggest concern was the tradeoff of living with no gallbladder... the Doc assured me that there is nothing to tradeoff, so I agreed to the procedure, which was no big deal.

The Doc was terribly wrong about "nothing to tradeoff" though, well at least for the first 2 years... there were certain foods, such as spicy and heavy creams, that would shoot through my system with an incredible force, providing very little warning that I needed to find a restroom immediately or the car would never be the same. I've driven miles in a panic, in pain, every muscle clinched, sweating profusely while trying to remember the breathing techniques they taught my wife preparing her for labor... oh, and that "incredible force", it can lift you off the ground from a sitting position.

After awhile though your stomach learns to deal with it and life goes back to normal.

 

[HrsDiva]

I was passing gallstones, which is very painful, so the Doc recommended having my gallbladder removed... my biggest concern was the tradeoff of living with no gallbladder... the Doc assured me that there is nothing to tradeoff, so I agreed to the procedure, which was no big deal.

The Doc was terribly wrong about "nothing to tradeoff" though, well at least for the first 2 years... there were certain foods, such as spicy and heavy creams, that would shoot through my system with an incredible force, providing very little warning that I needed to find a restroom immediately or the car would never be the same. I've driven miles in a panic, in pain, every muscle clinched, sweating profusely while trying to remember the breathing techniques they taught my wife preparing her for labor... oh, and that "incredible force", it can lift you off the ground from a sitting position.

After awhile though your stomach learns to deal with it and life goes back to normal.

Agreed it took awhile to figure it out... Goodluck

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[cowsmom]

ive no experience but wanted to wish you well and good luck.

 

[LariP]

I had mine removed about 34 years ago the old fashioned way with a 7 inch incision and a whole week in the hospital afterwards. Way different than now when they take them out with a few small cuts for the scopes.

 

[GretzkysMomma]

I have had mine removed a few years ago. I have noticed that certain foods go through me faster, but nothing dramatic. I was having major gallstone attacks. It was more pain than I have ever felt, and I have had 3 children. One of them I had natural. Ouchie!

I hope your recovery is quick like mine was. I did have a couple hiccups during surgery though. A gallstone slipped out as they were removing the gallbladder. So they had to put me under a second time and go through my esophagus to get the stone. All the while I was suffering from major gas pain from the first surgery. Lol!! After all that, I was good to go.

 

[Vikinggirl]

I haven't any experience with gallbladder removal myself, but my husband had his out 2 years ago. The usual method of removal is Laproscopic Surgery, where small holes are placed in the abdomen, and they remove the gallbladder though these holes. They first fill your abdomen up with air to make room inside the abdominal cavity, and so they can see the organs. This can cause a lot of discomfort post-operative, in the upper abdomen and right shoulder area, and you feel really bloated. It is good to walk around after surgery to relieve this air. Also burping also helps. You may have nausea and vomiting post- op as well. Removal of the gallbladder will releive all your symptoms. After removal the bile will flow directly into the intestines instead of through the gallbladder, which can cause dumping of the bile into the intestines and cause diarrhea, but this eventually disappears.

Walking after surgery is encouraged, but normal activities such as driving, walking up stairs, light lifting, and working should wait for a week after surgery. My husband found the seatbelt in the car was uncomfortable for a while after surgery.

Diet after surgery starts with clear fluids the first day, then full liquids, and then a regular diet. Foods that you should avoid post surgery are greasy and spicy foods, as these foods can cause some discomfort for some people with gall bladder disease. Some people also find it hard to digest dairy products after surgery, dairy was really hard for my husband to eat, it caused pains in his stomach, nausea, stomach pains, acid reflux, and diarrhea. Your diet after surgery should consist of grain cereals, and breads, fresh fruit and vegetables. It's been 2 years since his surgery, and he is fine now for most foods, but still gets problems sometimes with greasy foods and dairy products, although yogurts are fine, they don't bother him. I hope this helps you, and I wish you well with your surgery tomorrow, and a quick recovery, take care and keep us posted. I hope this helps you.

 

[tiffykay06]

Thank you for the tips, advice, and well wishes. I have talked to numerous people, some who have had problems with certain foods afterwards and some who have not. I figure if the worst thing that comes out of this is problems eating certain foods(which I have now) then I will consider myself lucky. My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning so hopefully all goes well!

 

[2BullyMama]

Best of luck and prayers for a safe procedure and quick recovery

 

[ChrisRN]

Good luck today. I'll be thinking about you.