cholecystectomy

[JTK]

Anyone here have your gall bladder removed? After battling the effects of gall stones for almost 2yrs, I had my gall bladder removed arthroscopically on Monday. Man am I SORE. 4 incisions in a square pattern on my belly, big one through the belly button. The doc mentioned encountering scar tissue from when I had my appendix removed some 36yrs ago, which may explain the discomfort. Mercifully I've not had much needed in terms of surgery. Surgery at 0830 and I was home before noon!

 

[supton]

Modern surgery, eh? In and out on the same day. Few decades ago they would have sliced you open and had a few nights, and all the longer for recovery. Still have my gall bladder, hopefully no stones in my lifetime! Hope you recover quickly. How long did the doc say to take it easy?

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: supton

Hope you recover quickly. How long did the doc say to take it easy?

Thank you Sir! No real restrictions beyond 2 days after surgery. The doc said if it hurts, back off is about it. It's not bad on my feet, but getting up is rough and I can't lay flat. You get these horrific gas pains way up in your shoulders and upper back from the gas they 'inflate' you with that hasn't dissipated yet.

 

[racer12306]

My wife had hers removed a couple years ago. She was told not to lift anything more than 5-10lbs for a few weeks, and that included our 3 year old girls. Don't remember too much bad, uncomfortable for a bit, then back to semi normal and full normal a couple weeks later. You will need to watch your "rich" food intake unless you want to spent some time on the toilet afterwards.

 

[JTK]

^ Thanks. That's true. Have to take it easy on fatty foods until your liver takes over the bile production the gall bladder once did. The paperwork they give you includes that bit about lifting, but my doctor's take is just don't go nuts. If it hurts, stop doing it.

 

[PhillyJoe]

Best of luck with your recovery. Had gall bladder removed the same way 10 years ago. First time in a hospital that I was not a visitor. Admitted Thursday through emergency room, operated on Friday, released Saturday, went home to delicious chicken broth and jello. Pain returned Sunday night every 30 minutes. Readmitted just after midnight, now Monday morning. After a day of observation, they tried to determine what was causing the pain; certainly wasn't the liquid diet. Finally figured I had sludge in my system from the gall bladder removal. Limited stairs for a day or two, no work for a week and then only half days for another week and i sit at a desk. Lost 25 pounds in a week from not having much of an appetite before, ice chips in the hospital and clear liquids when I went home.

 

[bruckus]

I had mine removed using the same procedure about 10 years ago. The first few days may be a little rough but really not too bad. Had some major bruising but that is expected. I really don't even know it's gone but my digestive actions have changed some since before removal. Good luck!!!!!

 

[CorvairGeek]

Had mine done in '05. Absolutely amazing compared to the "good ol' days".

 

[PimTac]

A lot of the discomfort is from the gas they use to inflate your abdomen so it’s easier to move around in there. I think they use CO2. Anyway it will dissipate in a couple of days or so.

 

[Tdbo]

Had mine done in 2014, using the same procedure. The worst part was the bloating, but as stated dissipates in 24-48 hours. I was tender in the area for about a week. Felt better but not great in about a week. Went back to the doctor, they ran some more tests and found that I had an ulcer as well. So it took me about five weeks to return to normal. However, I never have experienced any dietary issues regarding not having a gallbladder. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: JTK

Anyone here have your gall bladder removed? After battling the effects of gall stones for almost 2yrs, I had my gall bladder removed arthroscopically on Monday. Man am I SORE. 4 incisions in a square pattern on my belly, big one through the belly button. The doc mentioned encountering scar tissue from when I had my appendix removed some 36yrs ago, which may explain the discomfort. Mercifully I've not had much needed in terms of surgery. Surgery at 0830 and I was home before noon!

That's great your surgery went well and onto a speedy recovery.

 

[quint]

Had mine out about four years ago. I want it back. Any spicy or fatty type foods and I better be near a toilet or mayhem, misery, and gnashing of teeth is in order. Makes going out to eat a bit difficult. We mostly eat at very, very local eateries otherwise its a big gamble with me driving like a maniac to get home. I don't do public toilets. Ever seen the toilet scene from "Dumb and Dumber"? Welcome to my post-gall bladder life. It can hit THAT quick after a meal. Don't have much issue with it for home cooked meals, as we eat fairly low fat and not terribly spicy stuff at home. But eating out is tricky. I have to use a lot of discretion as to what I order. I can go for weeks with no problems, then it all comes back and I have problems for 3-4 weeks, then it goes away and the cycle repeats. Very strange. It used to bring me down but I've just gotten used to it and accepted it. According to my surgeon, my gallbladder was small pink and perfect, no stones or anything. The HIDA scan they did a week or so before the surgery showed 0% gall bladder activity, and my stomach pains were unbelievable some nights. No other cause for pain could be found, they suspected sludge in the bile duct and the gall bladder wasn't helping somehow. Gallbladder out, the bad pains are gone, but the trade off... I'm not sure is worth it. I gave up pursuing remedy, I was just spinning my wheels with the constant doctor appointments. They said my body would just eventually adjust. Still waiting..... As far as the surgery itself, I went in on a Tuesday at 7:00 am. Surgery was at 9:00 am. I was home at noon. Went to the Christmas office party three days later on Friday, left after a couple hours because I was in a bit of pain and a little dizzy. I had more problems with the anesthetic side effects than from the air they used during the surgery. I didnt have any of the back pains or other effects from that, that many people have. Went back to work on Monday. Pretty much back to regular activity after about 10 days or so. The four small incisions they made healed up in no time. My wife had stones and had hers out and was back to normal pretty quick from what I remember, no long term affects and she can eat whatever she wants. Me, not so much.

 

[JTK]

quint, have you visited a Gastroenterologist? I know certain dairy products can effect me how you describe. Other foods too, but It can be tough to pinpoint. I've gone through that type of testing over the years. When I initially had what was diagnosed as a gall bladder attack, I was sent for an ultrasound and they found no stones. The plan was, if I got a bad attack again, I was to go for the HIDA scan. Almost a year later after a really bad attack my doctor's office sent me for another ultrasound which clearly showed gall stones this time. From there they sent me to a specialist at a local "surgical associates" that set me up for gall bladder removal. The only way they'll do an emergency gall bladder removal these days is if you are showing signs of infection along with the pain. If it's just pain, they'll give you meds and set an appointment for removal.

 

[JimPghPA]

About 50 years ago a neighbor had her gall bladder removed. The evening after she came home she had an unusual rash and a fever. She decided to wait until the next morning to see a doctor. Unfortunately she died in her sleep that night. If you have any rash or fever go to an emergency room IMMEDIATELY. After operation complications can quickly go bad in a very serious way and can require fast attention.

 

[Mantooth]

Originally Posted By: JTK

^ Thanks. That's true. Have to take it easy on fatty foods until your liver takes over the bile production the gall bladder once did. The paperwork they give you includes that bit about lifting, but my doctor's take is just don't go nuts. If it hurts, stop doing it.

What doctors don't tell you about cholecystectomies is that 8-10% of people develop issues after the surgery. I am one of those. Bile acid malabsorption is not your friend. Basically, your liver drops bile directly into your digestive tract causing frequent trips to the men's room. Sometimes with little to no notice. I also had to make serious adjustments to my diet. Things I avoid now are beef, dairy, eggs and anything fried. I have to be careful of bread since it has both dairy and eggs as ingredients. If I stray from my diet then I end up with gallbladder ghost pains and rushed trips to the RR. I'm not trying to ruin your day but just wanted to give you heads up in case you start having problems. My problems started about a month after surgery and required several trips to the Dr. before they hit me with the not-so-good news. Hope your recovery is quick and uneventful.

 

[Mantooth]

Originally Posted By: quint

Had mine out about four years ago. I want it back. Any spicy or fatty type foods and I better be near a toilet or mayhem, misery, and gnashing of teeth is in order. Makes going out to eat a bit difficult. We mostly eat at very, very local eateries otherwise its a big gamble with me driving like a maniac to get home. I don't do public toilets. Ever seen the toilet scene from "Dumb and Dumber"? Welcome to my post-gall bladder life. It can hit THAT quick after a meal. Don't have much issue with it for home cooked meals, as we eat fairly low fat and not terribly spicy stuff at home. But eating out is tricky. I have to use a lot of discretion as to what I order. I can go for weeks with no problems, then it all comes back and I have problems for 3-4 weeks, then it goes away and the cycle repeats. Very strange. It used to bring me down but I've just gotten used to it and accepted it. According to my surgeon, my gallbladder was small pink and perfect, no stones or anything. The HIDA scan they did a week or so before the surgery showed 0% gall bladder activity, and my stomach pains were unbelievable some nights. No other cause for pain could be found, they suspected sludge in the bile duct and the gall bladder wasn't helping somehow. Gallbladder out, the bad pains are gone, but the trade off... I'm not sure is worth it. I gave up pursuing remedy, I was just spinning my wheels with the constant doctor appointments. They said my body would just eventually adjust. Still waiting..... As far as the surgery itself, I went in on a Tuesday at 7:00 am. Surgery was at 9:00 am. I was home at noon. Went to the Christmas office party three days later on Friday, left after a couple hours because I was in a bit of pain and a little dizzy. I had more problems with the anesthetic side effects than from the air they used during the surgery. I didnt have any of the back pains or other effects from that, that many people have. Went back to work on Monday. Pretty much back to regular activity after about 10 days or so. The four small incisions they made healed up in no time. My wife had stones and had hers out and was back to normal pretty quick from what I remember, no long term affects and she can eat whatever she wants. Me, not so much.

Your issues sound very similar to mine before a diet change. Bile salt malabsorption/bile salt diarrhea/bile salt dumping are some terms to Google.

 

[JTK]

Interesting stuff and exactly why I posted about it here. Fun fact, but per the Doc that yanked my GB, ~75% of people have gall stones, never know it and never have issues. ~15% of the 75% have gall stones that lodge just right in the bile duct which causes pain and issues.

 

[HardbodyLoyalist]

Had mine out about 3 years ago. I was very sore for 3 or 4 days. Turns out mine was difficult to remove because it was completely packed full of stones no bigger than lettuce seeds. It took years to get a proper diagnosis because the stones didn't show up on ultrasound. No dietary problems/restrictions, and I have never regretted having the surgery.

 

[quint]

Originally Posted By: JTK

quint, have you visited a Gastroenterologist? I know certain dairy products can effect me how you describe. Other foods too, but It can be tough to pinpoint. I've gone through that type of testing over the years.

Yup, I was never overly impressed by my gastro. There seems to be a lack of good ones around here, I checked a couple different offices and they all referred me back to the same person. There are others but none of them got glowing reviews, on line or from people I talked to that went to them. Another guy in the office here was going through all of this about the same time I was, and he wasn't impressed by his either. I'm sure there are others I could see, I kind of got lazy and frustrated about all of it and gave up. We talked about what is going on, had an ultrasound of various spare parts in my abdomen, poked here, prodded there, tested this, shoved a camera over there, etc etc and there was some discussion about what foods to avoid, and various meds to try, all of which seemed to have side effects I didn't want to deal with. "You have diarrhea after eating Mexican food? Let puts you on this prescription med. Side effects include immediate hair loss, tunnel vision, severe ear wax, erectile dysfunction, projectile vomiting, heart attacks, violent seizures, and paralysis. But at least you wont have occasional diarrhea after eating at Taco Bell. Take two per day and call me in a week." Yea, no thanks doc.

Originally Posted By: Mantooth

Your issues sound very similar to mine before a diet change. Bile salt malabsorption/bile salt diarrhea/bile salt dumping are some terms to Google.

Thanks, I'll definitely check into this. I know a diet change is in order if I'm ever going to calm this storm, but if I have to take Chinese, Mexican, dairy, and anything fried or spicy out of my diet, I'll lose my will to live. Its a bummer going out with friends and they are all chowing down on fun fatty spicy stuff, meanwhile I'm there nibbling on a raw turnip, ice tea and a few carrots because we are more than five minutes from home and I'm afraid to risk it. Thing is, all the nonsense I have now, is what my wife had before she had hers out. Now she's fine, no problems whatsoever, then I have mine out, and I fall apart. Some people just don't adapt to not having a gall bladder very well.

 

[JTK]

quint, back when you tried the gasto route, did they have you try the no FODMAP foods diet? That's what mine started me on. I had to eliminate all high FODMAP foods for a period of time (week?) then slowly introduce each group back in until I discovered which caused a flare up. That and the hydrogen breath test are the only procedures I went through with my gastro. This is all going back 4yrs or so. Before the gall bladder problems. I've had a sensitive system for as long as I can remember. The fact that I've done shift work nearly all of my working life doesn't help much either. Never on the same eating or sleeping pattern. Silly update, but I was able to lay flat for a few hours early this AM! This took 3 days after surgery. For anyone that has to have their gall bladder removed, I would recommend you have a comfy recliner chair on hand to sleep in for the first few days. We don't. I had to experiment and improvise.