Gallbladder Question

[eadreel 0]

My surgeon wants to remove my gallbladder. I don't want him to. The ultrasound showed that I had "a little bit of sludge" and a "slightly dilated common bile duct."

I am on cholesterol lowering drugs, which can cause some sludge and sometimes small stones.

I didn't feel myself passing a stone and I won't be losing more than 1-3 pounds a week and I chose the LapBand specifically because I could keep my stomach in one piece.

I'm scared that he will turn me away if I tell him to leave my gallbladder alone.

I don't think it is right to remove organs when they are operating as they should and there is a good chance that once I lose weight and my cholesterol goes down that it will function 100% again.

So is it a good idea to say NO at this point?

[Beachbunny 5]

If my surgeon wanted to remove my Gallbladder , id say ok. He is the Doctor and he knows what he is doing. Gallbladders after bariatric surgery can be iffy from what my surgeon said. I would much rather have it out if it looks questionable.

Jennifer

[tinksmom 0]

Maybe a second opinion? That way you will know if it is appropriate. If the second agrees you will be able to trust your surgeon. If not you might consider another one.

[honk 780]

When I was 18 I lost about 100 pounds and ended up having to have my gall bladder removed. Loosing weight is more likely to cause gall bladder problems than it is to stop them. I also had sludge versus stones. Having an attack is HORRIBLE. I can not express this enough!!! Yes three exclamation points! (and another for good measure). There is a huge difference between what is done in a gastric bypass and having a gall bladder removed. I was diagnosed with needing to have my gall bladder removed and had to live with the attacks/extremely low fat diet for 3 months before I had surgery. Not only did I get attacks if I had to much fat (meaning any fat), but also due to TOM. I had surgery over a long weekend break my freshman year of college. Doing it earlier would have meant taking time off from school which I refused to do. You need to make the right decision for you. Having lived with a similar situation if I had a child who had this problem I would strongly recommend they have it removed. NO hesitation.

[jingleboob 5]

If I could have had my gallbladder removed BEFORE I had attacks i would have! Never had pain like gallbladder pain. Literally would knock me to the ground or wake me in the night. It happened after I lost 70 lbs in a year... large weight loss often causes gallbladder issues and they really suck!

[honk 780]

If I could have had my gallbladder removed BEFORE I had attacks i would have! Never had pain like gallbladder pain. Literally would knock me to the ground or wake me in the night. It happened after I lost 70 lbs in a year... large weight loss often causes gallbladder issues and they really suck!

AMEN to that

[LarraineM 6]

I gave up my gallbladder 2 months after my lap band surgery. If my Dr is suggesting it I d listen. Its basicly the same type of proceedure Laproscopic I did'nt even need different insisions they just went right thru the same spots as my lap band. Pain wise there is nothing like loose stones in your body.......very painful. My stone traveled to my pancrease and cause inflamation I had to stay in the hospital three days on IV only nothing by mouth just to get the inflamed pancrease calmed down so that could take my gall bladder out. So I d say listen to your dr suggestion.

[Shay7997 0]

My husband is having his gallbladder removed on Saturday morning. He had his first attack last Saturday. In 10 years of marriage I have never had to take him to the ER until that night. 4 doses of morphine later he was finally relieved enough to go home, where he has been in pain since.

If the doctor is telling you he wants to take it, then let him, because the pain is enough to bring a grown man to his knees.

[spoiltmom 44]

Let him do it. Most of the time when you lose a lot of weight it causes gallstones so your gallbladder has to be removed anyway. It sounds to me like he's on the right track.

[Mimilou2004 13]

EAdreal, once again you have medical misinformation. You do NOT have a good chance of your GB problems going away. Are you going to listen to anyone who has answered you?

Mimi

[eadreel 0]

According to all the medical data I read, people who have asymptomatic gallstones have about a 25% lifetime chance of having symptomatic gallstone attacks. The treatment for the wait and see approach is a low fat diet, exercise and weight loss.

My ultrasound showed NO gallstones. Just a whole lotta mights and maybes. AND the Murphy's sign test was negative. So there is no gallbladder tenderness.

My surgeon has said that he wants to remove it to prevent possible gallstone attacks.

Needless to say, I called my regular doc to get her opinion on the matter and am waiting for her to call me back.

I believe that it is wrong to remove organs just because there might be a problem down the line. It is like saying that I am a higher risk for breast cancer so I might as well have a mastectomy to prevent cancer. Or a hysterectomy to prevent a multitude of reproductive organ cancers.

I may not NEED my gallbladder, but once it is gone, it is gone for good. I will never get it back. Right now with the information I have, the risks outweigh the benefits of having it removed. Plus if I can avoid 50 years of possible side effects (diarrhea, intestinal ulcers, and higher risk of colon cancer) and pain associated with removal, I will do so.

It is my choice to wait and see what happens with my gallbladder.

[Mimilou2004 13]

Then why bother asking for advice? Your mind was and is already made up.

Mimi

[eadreel 0]

Mimilou,

Maybe you are right. I did make up my mind. I shouldn't have asked for advice.

Maybe I shouldn't ask for moral support either.

In the future please refrain from answering any of my posts. I don't particularly like being called stupid.

My info wasn't wrong, just incomplete.

[PuppyBandit 2]

If you let your gallbladder be removed now, you could be saving yourself from having to have another surgery in the future.

[spoiltmom 44]

The thing is once you lose the weight you may end up with gallstones and need it removed.

When they do the Lap Band they will already be in that area so it's no big deal to take it out.

I have mine out and I haven't suffered any GI problems whatsoever and I had absolutely ZERO pain from the surgery.

You do seem to have your mind made up but there is a reason your surgeon is a surgeon. He didn't go to medical school for years to give you bad advice and he has no reason to take out your gallbladder unless he really thinks it's medically necessary b/c insurance will NOT pay him to do that. They will bundle it with the Lap Band and he will get the same amount of money either way.

Edited August 4, 2010 by spoiltmom