Has anyone had their gallbladder removed?

Rick Marchand

Rick Marchand

Donkey on the Edge
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Have you and if you did, have you had any problems. Someone close to me is considering having it removed. They've had several attacks and ultrasounds show gallstones. We've done lots of research. Just looking for actual "people" input. Please, any advice would help.
Rick
 
It needs to come out if the attacks are frequent. It may become infected. My wife just had hers removed. She was in pain for a few days and her stomach was not feeling well but she is much better after 6 days. The attacks are far worse than the surgery. She has four small scars from the laparoscopic surgery and aside from having to watch what she eats she is glad she had it done.
 
Laparoscopic surgery made a huge change !! Before that half the healing problem and discomfort was due to the large incision.They start with laparoscopic , then if there are complications they may open you up. I do know one guy who had the CRT burn out in the middle of the operation.But typically it's not a big deal anymore.
 
My family of 5 does not have a gall bladder among us, My wife at 30 something was slit open like an over ripe melon, doing fine for 30 more years, my two daughters had them removed before they hit 40, my son had his out at 36, I was the last at 61, the last four of us had the 4 small incisions and did fine, kicked out of hospital same day. Went back to work within 4 days. No big deal now days, My wife was down for 6 weeks. Big advances in medicine these days. No sweat now. Our prayers are with your friend.:thumbup:
 
Yes, I had an open cholecystectomy. By the time they took MY gallbladder out, I had panccreatitis too!! My attacks were worse than the surgery as well.I felt soooooooo much better after.
 
Mine's gone too. I had the big surgery - before laproscopic was available here - and it was like they chain sawed my top half off and sewed me back up later. :o) I took over 3 months to recover. That being said - that 3 months and the scar and the week in the hospital (I had complications) was NOTHING compared to some of the attacks I had. (I had a blocked stone in the end and that was BAD).

Some other adults in my family have since had the lapro - out the same day, and back to work in a few. It is an easy surgery, hardly any scar, and WELL worth it.
 
I had mine out because of very bad attacks. I walked out of the hospital 2 hours after and went to work two days later. It's not a big deal as far as surgery goes.
However.....I am one of those people that was affected by it meaning when I eat I go right away, so you have to make some adjustments.
 
My wife had her's taken out 2 years ago. No problems since, but she does have to watch the amount of fried food she eats. If she eats fried food to offen she sometimes gets a case of the squirts. But she doesn't eat a lot of fried food, so she rarely has a problem.
 
I ended up in the emergency room puking my guts up from a bad gall bladder. They removed it later that day using the micro surgery(not the correct term, but you get the idea). I was out of the hospital before lunch the next day.
 
Yes had it removed 10 or so years ago. The attacks were happening average of 2 times a year for several years......and were extremely painful. One attack was so bad when my wife wasn't home the the neighbor who is a surgical nurse was afraid I was having a heart attack and very rapidly drove me to the ER.
The only effect the removal may have had was that pre-removal, my cholesterol was in 150-160 range, after removal, it peaked in the 260 range so Doc put me on Zocor and it is now back in the 150 range....I was overweight before the surgery and still am.....I assume that the spike was in part due to the gallbladder removal.....
It took an ultrasound to find for sure it was gallstones....
Having the procedure done certainly increased quality of life for me...those attacks were brutally painful....
I think I stayed overnight after afternoon surgery. Was back to working from home on computer/phone/fax day after getting home....back at office (with loose belt and shitrtail out) in a short week, or sooner.....
Edited to add that while it was a gracious offer when the Surgeon said he'd save the gall stones for me to take home, I declined.....
 
Thanks for all the replies guys n gals. I really appreciate getting some personal feedback from real people. Please keep them coming.
Rick
 
I had mine out about ten years ago, by the new laproscopic method, they took it out at 10:30AM and I was home by 10:00AM the next day, I literally could have went home that same day, but the doc' prefered patients stay overnight.

Tell them to get it done, it is NOTHING compared to the attacks I was having before!
 
Hi There,

I had mine taken out in October '05, On a Monday in the Hospital and Tuesday afternoon back home again.
They toke it out Laproscopic, 4 tiny little holes and no problems.
I had several attacks in a month during April- October, after that no more problems what a relief.:p

kind regards,

Werner
 
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