Tell your gallbladder removal stories!

In My Humble Opinion
1

Only good ones, please. I spent all day Sunday in the emergency room of my local hospital with pain that wouldn’t go away. I’d had the same pain before, but usually it abated after a couple hours, so I ignored it. According to the doctor, I have gallstones and they wanted to do surgery that night. I put it off and have an appointment with my regular doc tomorrow. But unless medicine has made some giant steps in 5 days, it looks like I’ll probably not meet one of my goals - leaving this world with all my original parts intact.

So please tell me what a breeze it was, how you got to eat ice cream all day long while watching Oprah and All My Children. And tell me, step by step (including pre-op) what to expect. Will I come out 5" taller and 30 lbs lighter?

StG

2

Well, probably not 30lbs. lighter. But probably, ummm, how much does a gall bladder weigh, again? :wink:

Okay, here’s my story, and yours is gonna be a lot better because it’ll probably be done laparascopically: about 19 years ago, some pretty serious pain started during an episode of L.A. Law. By the time the show was over, the pain had progressed from “pretty bad” to “horrifying”. I was so sick that I told my hubby I couldn’t go to the hospital because I was literally unable to get dressed (I was watching TV in my nightgown). He bundled me into my robe, put a pair of his socks on me, put me into my mother’s wheelchair and got me into the car and to the hospital. By the time I got into the car, in addition to the excruciating pain, I was throwing up yellow stuff.

The ER was very crowded; the first doctor to see me wanted to give me painkillers and send me home! I said “No way”. In my mind, they could either do something for me, or just kill me. But I wasn’t going through that pain again! The second doctor said “Well, we can list this as elective surgery and remove your gall bladder two weeks from now, or we can list it as emergency and do it tomorrow”. I said “the sooner the better!”

Not only did I have to have mine open (lap just wasn’t widely available at the time), but they had to cut me extra-long because my gall bladder was so distended it had partially adhered to my rib cage.

Recovery from abdominal surgeries (I’ve had five now, so I should know) are infamous for being very tender. However, there are things you can do to help: one, find out what your doctor’s pain relief protocol is. You surely don’t want a surgeon who’s stingy with pain meds when you’re right out of surgery. Two, ask for a “trapeze” above your bed. It will be amazingly helpful in repositioning yourself, and getting up. Three, get up and walk asap, even though it will hurt like hell. Time your walking with your pain shot. If you’re getting morphine or demerol, plan on walking about 15 minutes after your shot. If you’re getting dilaudid, plan on walking about 5 minutes after your shot. This way, the pain reliever is in full swing, and is still going strong when you get back to bed.

The really good news is, as much as it hurts at first, it improves rapidly. The first four abdominal surgeries I had, I was off narcotic pain relievers by the third day (my last surgery was a lot more complex, and required narcotics for longer). So just keep reminding yourself, not only is it going to get better quickly, but it’s never going to be as bad again as it is right now!

I’ve known a number of people who’ve had the lap procedure, and apparently, it’s much, much easier than open.

Good luck!

3

My dad had his gallbladder removed a few years ago-- following a round of pancreatitis, which occurred when a gallstone blocked something involving the pancreas. If gallstones hurt, pancreatitis hurts worse–or so I’m told. The surgery was scheduled for something like three weeks after he left the hospital after the pancreatitis, so as to give the pancreas a chance to calm down–doctors don’t like messing with the pancreas.

The actual surgery was laproscopic and outpatient, he went home the next day, and was back at work 4 days later. He did spend some time after that being very careful about how he sat up, stood up, sat down, and laid down.

Funny thing, Dad had, for years, routinely gotten up to pee in the middle of the night. After his gallbladder was removed, he didn’t have to do so as regularly.

4

I just had my gallbladder out on December 28th. The whole thing started with pain on Thanksgiving night that continued for the next 5 days. It wasn’t the awful sharp pains so many people have described but a dull ache that would not go away. I finally visited my doctor on Monday and he sent me for a HIDA scan the next day. The scan showed that my gallbladder was not working properly, so I was then referred to a surgeon. I met with the surgeon once and he scheduled surgery for three weeks later. (I could have had it done a week sooner but I chose to wait the extra week because my husband would be on vacation Christmas week and would be home to help if I needed him.)

I went to the surgery center at 11 am, was prepped and taken into surgery at noon. The anesthetist said “goodnight” and I woke up around 1:45 pm. (My husband told me later that I was out of surgery by 12:25 pm.) My stomach felt pretty sore but the pain was tolerable. The nurse gave me 2 pain pills and told me to go to McDonalds and get a vanilla milkshake and take them as soon as I left the hospital so they would be working by the time my IV pain meds had worn off.

We left the hospital around 2:15 pm and I was back in my own bed by 3 pm. I was nauseated from the pain medication the first day and vomited a couple of times, but after that I was fine. I had four ‘entry wounds’ on my stomach; one at the top of my navel, one in the center top, and two on the mid to lower right side. They were sore and I was not able to sleep lying down for a few days because it was too uncomfortable, but that resolved itself quickly. I was completely off the pain medication by Friday evening and dealt with the soreness by taking Tylenol.

I had the surgery on a Thursday and returned to work on Monday Jan 8th. I think I recovered faster in the long run because of taking the extra time off to rest.

Hope this helps; if you have any specific questions I can try to answer them.

5

It really is a snap.

I had mine done last November, four days before Thanksgiving. I was able to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family (not too much, but still) without any pain afterward. Was heaven.

There are four small scars, two on the right side of my abdomen, one on the left, and one in my navel. They healed very quickly, didn’t even need staples, just steri-strips. The worst part (and you should be prepared for it) was the removal of the drain from the top incision. It doesn’t hurt, but it is uncomfortable. Try not to tense up, and it’ll be over in no time.

I was in just overnight. Remember to walk about every hour or so and ask for pain meds if you need them.

6

Do you need an IV? I’ve never had an IV. Do you wear a gown? I’m hyper-modest. Do they shave you? Because - itchy. Do you fast the night before?

StG

7

NPO after midnight. Had it done laparoscopically on a Friday, woulda been back to work Monday, but I overslept, so the doctor was nice enough to write me a note :smiley:

They didn’t shave me, but I am a girl, so I don’t have much hair on my belly. I had to have an IV, they’re really not that bad. If you’re nervous, ask for Versed right off the bat – BEST. DRUG. EVAR.

It’s an easy surgery, easy recovery. Some people have foods they can’t eat afterwards, I haven’t had any problems. Caveat – I don’t normally eat high-fat or high-sugar foods, so who knows how I would do with those?

Trust me, things go from really friggin miserable to oh my gawd I feel so much better immediately with gb removal. Or at least for me and every I know who has had to have it done.

8

They give you an IV for any surgery. Really. However, it’s not that big of a deal (and I’m a hard stick, so trust me, it’s really not that big of a deal). The IV hurts marginally more than getting blood drawn. You will have to change into a gown before the surgery. If you’re staying overnight (and you probably are), you’ll want to bring some pajama pants/lounge pants/sweat pants to put under your gown. Because of the IV, it usually doesn’t work to wear anything except a gown on top.

They didn’t shave me, but I’m a girl, not much hair on my belly.

You cannot have general anesthesia within oh, say 6-8 hours of eating. The general rule is nothing by mouth after midnight.

I’m one of the unfortunate few for whom Versed does nothing. At all. But really, for a great majority of people, it is a wonderful drug. They’ll put the IV in first, then if you ask for it, they’ll give you the Versed right away (pronounced verse-ED); if you don’t ask for it, they’ll probably wait until just before they take you into the OR to give it to you. It’s my understanding that, after one dose of Versed, the surgeon could come in and tell you they’ve decided to remove your right leg along with your gall bladder, and you’d grin and say “Well, that’s fine, then”.

9

Yes, you’ll need an IV. They’ll start it before the surgery, and the anesthesiologist will push some meds through it to help you fall asleep before they give you the general anesthetic. They didn’t shave me…not a guy. Yes, you’ll be in a gown, but you can change as soon as you wake up in your room (I was wearing sweats and a tshirt for the rest of the time I was there). You do fast the night before, after midnight, but by the time I had my surgery I was eating so little, it wasn’t that difficult.

And I cannot second what Litoris said enough. You will feel SO much better immediately. And that horrible pain will be gone.

10

I had my gallbladder removed about 9 years ago, while I was in college. I had been having gallbladder attacks in the form of an intense ache that rose through my spine and settled near the bottom of my ribcage for several years, but never did anything about it. Finally, after the attacks had gotten more frequent and more intense, I went to the emergency room after trying to claw my stomach open to just make it stop hurting.

My surgery was done laparoscopically, and I only spent one night in the hospital. I was given percocet (which is a miracle drug), which nicely controlled any residual pain. I was walking around the day after the surgery, and was back in class just one week after the surgery.

I have had some GI wierdness that may or may not have resulted from the gallbladder issues. I was diagnosed with IBS shortly after the surgery, but that seems to have mostly abated by now. I still have trouble eating too much greasy food in one sitting, like pizza. Also, I need to make sure to eat something first thing in the morning, or else I’ll suffer for it later.

Anyway, if you’re going to have to have a surgery, a laparoscopic gallbladderectomy is the one to have. Nice and short, easy recovery, and you’ll get a new funny-shaped belly button. Plus, no more hurting! What more could a person ask for?

11

Thanks for the stories, everyone - For the record, I’m a girly-type, too.

Della - I’ve been awakened in the night with severe stomach aches several times, but this weekend it took 12 hours and 2 shots of demerol/mepergan to make it die down. I’m still twingey. I hope I don’t have food issues afterward - I like the occassional slice of pizza.

StG

12

I had mine out during a trip to Poland. Lots of pain, driven to hospital, rapid diagnosis, laparoscopic surgery the next day, golfball-sized stone to take home, 2 nights in hospital, $650 all up.

No problems since then, though I’ve learned that a greasy breakfast is not quite the thing.

13

Is it SOP to wait until the patient is under to shave him? When I had knee surgery my leg was shaved in the OR after I was out.

14

Here’s my story: They’re going to cut me. With great Doper contributions, and I was sure to follow up with stories of the actual operating room experience (Oh! Mairzy doates and doazy dotes and liddle lamsy divy…) and my recovery.

It really wasn’t that bad. The (one!) stone I had caused me far more grief than the operation and recovery did. Put it this way: if I was told I had to go through it again, I would without concern.

15

In 1994, Grandma was told she had gallstones. She was traumatized: not only did she have no idea what had she done to catch this, but you can not heal it by eating! They broke them apart with ultrasounds and recomended getting her gall blader out.

Waiting lists are shorter in Navarra than in Catalonia; even shorter if your son-in-law happens to work in a hospital. Ten days after the initial diagnosis she had a visit with the doctor who was going to perform the surgery (in Spain we don’t have doctors who only do surgery, it’s considered sort of as an additional function) and he told her she’d have to change her dietary habits: she’d have to eat several small meals a day rather than a few large ones, as well as avoid high-fat foods like some kinds of chocolate. Grandma got a look like this :confused: and said “what, I’ll have to go on a diet, like you? If they take this bladder thing out I can’t have chocolate any more?” “Don’t worry, Mom, he’s just said you have to eat like always.” “Oh, OK.” Grandma eats one meal a day, starting when she wakes up and stopping with crumbs on the bedsheets; has done it since forever.

She was very grumpy after the surgery because she was having to eat hospital food (the horror!) which in the case of abdominal surgery, even laparoscopic, is marked extra-bland. Once she had her first post-surgery T-bone, the world was set aright again.

She’s now 93. Her right knee hurts when the humidity is high (“early symptoms of arthrosis”, the medical history says), she’s kind of deaf (“wash my ears? Why should I wash my ears? Wax is dirty!”), switches off the hearing aid while at home (good thing the rest of the neighbors are about as old and about as deaf as the two of them) and, as shown by the wax remark, is not very long on logic. But this has nothing to do with her gall bladder.

16

Yes, it is SOP to wait until the patient is out; but I believe the OP was talking about the itchiness of the hair growing back in.

17

I had the old-fashioned open style because it was a long time ago, but I don’t remember being shaved at all. I do remember getting my belly scrubbed with betadine solution, though.

My pre-op drug was Dilaudid. Man, that is some gooooood stuff.

StG, you will feel so much better when this is over. My gastroenterologist told me that my gallbladder issues had crept up on me and that I didn’t really realize how sick I had been and wouldn’t realize it until I felt how much better I would be afterwards. He was right.

I haven’t had any problems with digesting any foods, but I understand some people do.

Best of luck!

18

Well, so far this seems doable, I suppose. I’m still not happy with my body for letting down the team.

I’m single and live alone. I thought I might spend the day I get out at my mother’s place, just in case something happens. But i"m uncomfortable having people hover when I don’t feel well. Should I be fine on my own the following day? I can put my dogs in the outside kennel with food and water, the cats and horses can pretty much look after themselves for a day, but soon they’ll all need care. Is the next day too soon?

Thanks for all the encouraging stories.

StG

19

Mine was bad, but I didn’t get treatment fast enough because, well, I don’t know… I had a new baby? I didn’t want to miss my first day back at work? Seriously, I should have been taken by rescue about five times before I even saw a doctor. I had “more stones than we can count”. Most people have a very good laparoscopy and quick recovery. You’ll be fine.

McDonald’s will give you the big D for about three years afterwards. It’s a small price to pay.

20

If I were you, I’d see if I couldn’t organize a friend/parent to come help with the animals for a couple days. Based on Dad’s experience, you probably won’t feel too lousy, but you may be tired, and you may find that stretching, bending over, etc. is not fun. You shouldn’t need someone hovering, but having someone available to help with your animals is not a bad idea.