gallbladder removal - Gallbladder Message Board

hamuda30 · 06-21-2009, 11:05 AM

Hello,

A few days ago I had a gallbladder attack..Not knowing what it was I went to the ER. that's when they told me I had gallstones and said I need surgery to remove my gallbladder. They say it's not dangerous and there is really no use for it.. I on the other hand know that there is a use for it cause it wouldn't have been there in the first place. Anyway I didn't have the surgery yet.Long story why but the doctor said maybe in 3 weeks. So what I did was spend my weekend online and reading all what I can about this problem. I did not find ONE good thing about this surgery..People complained about still having pain, things getting worse. They say that after a day you are up and ready to go back to your daily life yet no one said that happened until months after the surgery. Now while doing my research I came about a page that says that surgery is not really needed and that it maybe allergy and to low the risk of having an attack all I need to do is low on my fat something like that and also I can have the stones removed my soundwave.

Anyway what I am asking here is...Is this true? do I really need to have surgery or can I somehow eliminate it??

Please help me with info..

Thank You

Titchou · 06-21-2009, 01:04 PM

Most of the people who post are those who have had problems and are looking for solutions or sympathy. Sometimes flushes do work but there is always te danger that a stone will get stuck in the duct and you'll have to have surgery then. There is also the issue of damage already caused by the stones to the gallbladder. That cannot be cured so it may continue to be painful once the stones are gone due to the damage. And it may beging to not function properly due to the damage and that can cause additional issues.

While many people on this board have had problems after removal, I have to say that I really don't know of anyone personally who has had problems - including my mother and myself. And I know lots of people who've had them out. My mother had hers out about 40 years before she died and she never had any problems. I had mine out 4 years ago and had no problems with it. The key is to eat NO FAT for about 4 weeks after removal so that the bile duct which takes over the function of the gb can come online slowly and not get overtaxed in the process. That will cause it tonot funciton properly and then you'll have continual problems.

And it is a very easy procedure. Only takes about 20 minutes. I was under anesthesia only about 40 minutes until I was awake enough to carry on a conversation. Had it out on Monday. Went to work Wed AM for 1/2 day and full time after that. I jogged 2 miles the following MOnday - one week - after having it out. Sore some but that was OK. Couldn't go to the gym for about 3 weeks and no heavy weightlifting but otherwise it was easy. I was 59 at the time.

Hope this helps.

Collector167 · 06-22-2009, 06:49 PM

I agree that we need to disabuse the common notion that the gallbladder has no purpose. Can you live without it, yes, but it is very important for the digestive process. Even fish have gallbladders.

There is a medicine called Ursodiol or Actigall that can dissolve some types of gallstones. This treatment is a long term treatment and not cheap. I have had good success with the use of Ursodiol and 3000mg per day of fish oil. You might ask your gastro doctor about this option.

Somebody recently posted on this board that only about 20% of those that have the surgery have problems and probably only half of those have long term problems. This is a very common surgery, and relatively low risk, just make sure your surgeon has lots of practice. If you wind up going this route, Titchou gives good advice.

snowdrift · 06-23-2009, 07:02 AM

I agree that the gallbladder definitely has a purpose, but it is certainly likely one will do very well without it. For some people, maybe long-term management of gallbladder disease with a low-fat diet can work. For me, that was impossible. I ended up having the surgery a week after diagnosis, after dealing with increasing pain for a while. To me, trying to manage it without surgery is pretty much like waiting for the inevitable emergency.

One thing to keep in mind is that gb surgery is a very easy surgery to do when the gb is not actively infected/inflamed, but can become a much more difficult procedure if there is a bad infections going on. The rate of complications also tends to rise in general with emergency surgeries.

I disagree with Titchou about the need to be absolutely fat free for weeks after the surgery. This may relate to all kinds of factors, but I tend to feel very poorly in general when I avoid fats entirely, and I'd lost quite a bit of weight in the weeks leading to the surgery. My surgeon and gp both recommended getting back onto a normal diet fairly quickly. Not going straight to a full-fat diet, but adjusting to a completely normal diet over a period of 10 days to two weeks. For some people too, fiber is as much of an irritant than fat following the surgery--definitely don't want to cut that out, especially if you are taking opioid pain meds following surgery--but it is something to be aware of. Switching from a balanced diet to lots of fruits and vegetables could be as problematic as just lowering the fat a little in one's ordinary diet.

Looly · 06-24-2009, 06:14 PM

Hi, I had my gallbladder removed a month ago. Don't believe what you read on these boards. Not everyone has issues afterwards. Surgery went smoothly, recovery was quick and I am back eating most things. I usually don't incorporate a lot of fat into my diet in the first place, but I am eating some fats and having no problems at all. Surgery was the best thing I could have done for myself. My dr told me not to worry. I told him the awful stories I read and he told me which I found out in my case to be true, that only those who have problems post about it on the health boards while tons of others who have had no problems don't go there.

Do what's best for you though.