Gallbladder out at the same time?

[readyforitnow 9]

Did anyone have their gallbladder out at the same time they were sleeved ? If so, did you experience any complications because of it?

[Nicolanz 1,484]

I did not but boy do I wish I did! I started having issues six months out and got it removed about 3 months later after putting it off for so long. I had an attack that vicodin couldn't cure and sent me to the ER. I. Ended up with acute pancreatitis and could have died! If it's an option for you, I'd say go ahead and do it.

[BitterSweet* 835]

Remove it. You can live perfectly fine without it. If it is diseased and known prior to surgery, decent, well-skilled doctors take it out during the sleeve. If diseased and you keep it, I can almost guarantee that you'll regret it. Gall attacks are extremely painful and can turn into an emergency very easily.

[Miss Mac 6,262]

My gallbladder ruptured when I was 21 (back in 1973 when they still cut you half in two). I am 62 now and have done fine without it for 41 years. If you can get it out with your bariatric surgery, go for it.

[#9grammy 274]

I had my gallbladder removed back in 1978, 57 now and don't miss it lol.

My surgeon said he doesn't remove them if they are healthy. If it goes bad then he will deal with it at that time. I too had my appendix out at same time and yes they cut you open pretty big back then.

[KittyChick 140]

My doctor also does not remove them if they're free of stones which is a shame because I'm reading that people who lose weight quickly (especially surgery patients) are at huge, HUGE risk for gallstones. I read somewhere that 50% of weight loss surgery patients end up developing them!

My surgery was in January and I was fine until about two weeks ago. But I've started having hugely painful attacks- always after eating. I'm 99% sure it's gallstones and/or pancreatitis (byproduct of gallstones) because ALL of the symptoms I'm reading up on fit to a "T" what I've been experiencing.

It's excruciating. Upper abdominal pain, severe back pain, cold sweats, nausea, rapid heart rate...and it all hurts worse when trying to lie down.

Sadly, I'm uninsured until Oct 1st and can't get anything checked out until then. It's been awful and I'm upset at my surgeon for not being proactive & just taking the gallbladder out when my sleeve was done.

I am very afraid I'll have to have open surgery (much more pain & longer hospital stay/recovery) to remove the gallbladder because all my reading says sometimes Dr's don't want to do a second laparoscopic surgery on patients who've "recently" undergone one. My sleeve will be 9 months old at that point so I'm not really sure if that will exclude me from having another laparoscopic surgery or not, but I'm scared nonetheless.

Anyway @@readyforitnow, if I had it to do all over again, I would BEG my surgeon to take out my gallbladder. My advice is to do the same if you haven't had your surgery yet.

Best of luck.

Edited September 17, 2014 by KittyChick

[KittyChick 140]

I did not but boy do I wish I did! I started having issues six months out and got it removed about 3 months later after putting it off for so long. I had an attack that vicodin couldn't cure and sent me to the ER. I. Ended up with acute pancreatitis and could have died! If it's an option for you, I'd say go ahead and do it.

@Nicolanz- were both your sleeve and your gallbladder surgery done laparoscopically?

[BitterSweet* 835]

@@KittyChick, even given a laparascopic procedure a month prior (let alone 9 months) they only cut you open if it fails with the scope - which really doesn't happen. They haven't been cutting people open for gallbladder removal in for 20+ years. It sucks and I know you're pissed about it.

Just know this, doctors have to have a reason to remove a healthy organ. If you had no evidence of gall disease and it was removed, your insurance company might have an issue with it. Once it is removed, it's sent to the pathology lab where it is checked for a multitude of things.

That pathology report gets sent to your doctor and the findings of gall stones etc, become part of your chart and plays a role in how your insurance gets billed. They do have to have a reason to take it out, even given all of the evidence that WLS patients tend to get gall disease. Who knows, times will likely change and it may become a standard practice. Good luck to you!

Edited September 17, 2014 by BitterSweet*

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I had my first gall bladder attack ... wait for it ... 10 days after my VSG surgery. The ultrasound done in the ER showed 30 gallstones. Gaaahhh!

Obviously, I didn't manufacture 30 gallstones in 10 days.

So I just had my gall bladder removed two days ago -- 4 weeks post-VSG. So now I have 10 holes in my tummy instead of 6 and am recovering from a second surgery. Happily, my WLS surgeon also did my gallbladder surgery (he's a general surgeon ... yea!).

When I saw him prior to the gallbladder surgery, he said, "We used to remove the gallbladder proactively when we did WLS. But the insurance companies had a problem with us doing surgery for something that wasn't yet a problem. I wish we could still do it though. So many patients have their first symptoms after WLS."

So I asked, "What if I'd 'proactively complained' about my gallbladder prior to WLS? Would you have ordered an ultrasound pre-op? And when you saw the 30 stones in there would you have taken out my gallbladder at the same time as WLS?"

My doctor just smiled a big ole grin. It was his way of saying, nonverbally, "Hell, yes!"

So here's a word to the wise. During your first meeting with your WLS surgeon, you could say: "Gee, I may be starting to have some troubles with my gallbladder." (At this point you might rub your abdomen just under your right breast/chest.) "But I've never had an ultrasound taken of my gallbladder before. Do you think we should do an ultrasound to find out if I've got a problem with gallstones in there?"

[Nicolanz 1,484]

Totally agree with VSGAnn. I did have them both laparoscopically too. I have 9 scars! Looks like I was in a knife fight!

[KittyChick 140]

@@KittyChick, even given a laparascopic procedure a month prior (let alone 9 months) they only cut you open if it fails with the scope - which really doesn't happen. They haven't been cutting people open for gallbladder removal in for 20+ years. It sucks and I know you're pissed about it.

Just know this, doctors have to have a reason to remove a healthy organ. If you had no evidence of gall disease and it was removed, your insurance company might have an issue with it. Once it is removed, it's sent to the pathology lab where it is checked for a multitude of things.

That pathology report gets sent to your doctor and the findings of gall stones etc, become part of your chart and plays a role in how your insurance gets billed. They do have to have a reason to take it out, even given all of the evidence that WLS patients tend to get gall disease. Who knows, times will likely change and it may become a standard practice. Good luck to you!

@@BitterSweet* - The insurance thing definitely makes sense! BUT I self-paid at a doctor in Mexico who isn't part of the ridiculous bureaucracy that permeates the US health system. But oh well, I guess the lesson is- you suffer either way- in the states AND out.

[BitterSweet* 835]

@VSG2014, that preemptive complaint of non-existent gallbladder problems is genius. I hope people pay attention to your suggestion.

[kellygreen 1]

I had both surgeries on Sept. 8th 2014 at the same time. My doctor initially said he would not take out the gall bladder as he was doing a lap band to sleeve conversion and would already be busy in there.He said when they do the Gastric Bypass they automatically take out the gall bladder. Since I wanted the sleeve I thought it was a no go even though the pre-op tests showed I already had gallstones going on. Once he got in there though, I guess my gall bladder looked rough so he did the whole she bang, all at once. After reading these posts...I am soooo thankful he did!

[sleevedllama 28]

On 9/19/2014 at 12:41 AM, kellygreen said:

I had both surgeries on Sept. 8th 2014 at the same time. My doctor initially said he would not take out the gall bladder as he was doing a lap band to sleeve conversion and would already be busy in there.He said when they do the Gastric Bypass they automatically take out the gall bladder. Since I wanted the sleeve I thought it was a no go even though the pre-op tests showed I already had gallstones going on. Once he got in there though, I guess my gall bladder looked rough so he did the whole she bang, all at once. After reading these posts...I am soooo thankful he did!

Hi. I realize this is an old post, but I just had my gallbladder out with a VSG on 7/31. Two weeks post op and I'm still feeling pretty rough, particularly sore in the area where my gallbladder pain had been. Did you have any complications or a slower recovery after your double procedure?