My gallbladder has been attacking me...

[Wheetsin 714]

...and an ultrasound this a.m. confirmed stones. I have a consultation with my band surgeon next week (he also does general laparoscopic procedures). Band was my first surgery, so this will only be #2. And of course I will ask him these questions, but because a week is a long time away...

So what can I expect, with both the surgery, and life after?

I'm sort of assuming it will be similar to my band surgery - in terms of risk, recovery... hopefully not as sore as I was after the port placement.

What about general life? Will being minus that megadose of bile effect the way my body deals with fats, long term? I get visions of oil slick diarrhea at the blink of an eye... like the people on that medication that limits your breakdown of fats.

Any words of advice from those of you who have been there?

[METALBAND 0]

Nothing to worry about. I had mine out 2 weeks prior to band surgery and I was feeling fine in a day or two. It was much less invasive and I have not missed it at all. I did not know it was there and did not know it was gone. I guess I was lucky that I did not have any symptoms prior to having it out, I heard that what you are going through can be painful!

Good Luck!

Maureen

[trystelle 3]

...and an ultrasound this a.m. confirmed stones. I have a consultation with my band surgeon next week (he also does general laparoscopic procedures). Band was my first surgery, so this will only be #2. And of course I will ask him these questions, but because a week is a long time away...

So what can I expect, with both the surgery, and life after?

I'm sort of assuming it will be similar to my band surgery - in terms of risk, recovery... hopefully not as sore as I was after the port placement.

What about general life? Will being minus that megadose of bile effect the way my body deals with fats, long term? I get visions of oil slick diarrhea at the blink of an eye... like the people on that medication that limits your breakdown of fats.

Any words of advice from those of you who have been there?

Let me tell you about my experiences-I had my GB removed laproscopically about 10 years ago. Yes, the surgery is similar but there is less pain. Nothing as painful as the port and in IMHO the gas was easier.

The gall bladder's function is to store and modify bile. The modifications are minimal and are basically just concentrating it a little. Without a GB, the liver directly secretes bile to the small intestine. I have never had any shortage of bile. I have never had oily or greasy stools (like I did on the "Alli" type med).

I feel completely the same as I did when I had my GB. Getting rid of the horrible pain was the only change. Good luck with your surgery. I think you will find that it leaves little impact on your life.

[gwhite 0]

Everyone is different when it comes to having GB surgery. I have to agree that it was not as painful as banding. I had mine out about 8 years ago and had I followed the low fat diet then I wouldn't have had the problems I had the years after it. I didn't eat "healthy" foods and it made for some "urgent" and not so pleasant bathroom experiences. But now that I have the band I am eating a lot healthier and haven't had any problems. In fact its improved a lot.

Good luck

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Removing a gallbladder used to be a huge, major, horrific, and painful procedure. But now with lap it's a piece of cake.

Some people have a bit of diarrhea after eating a very high fat meal but think about it, we don't eat to that extreme anymore. Most people have no problems whatsoever.

Your liver will just work a little bit more producing bile instead of having a stored source.

[kebsa 1]

losing your gb will not cause you any problems long terms, it will not negatively affect digestion or bowle movements, it will jsut get rid of the risk of pain from a GB attack. the ble s secreted by the lver directly into the common bile duct then into the intestine- where as t would previously have been stored in the gb, so the GB is kind of a redundant organ in us these days. as for the surgery. the degree of gas pain varies from surgery to surgery eg how much of the insufflation gas they manage to get back out after the procedure- the gas is pumped n to make the organs stand apart so they can see what they are doing- ths gas cause irritation as well as that blated post op feeling, you can als get shoulder tip pain as the gas irritates the nerves. they removed the gas at the end of the procedure but some is left to be absorbed by the body over the next day or so ( some of teh irritation can take longer to settle) you also get abdomnal gas as they have been handling the past of teh intestinal tract etc, that kinds shocks everything, adn dsrupts its normal movement, so the gut has bacteria that produce gas all the time, yo u need the bugs to aid with digestion and normally the excess gas is absorbed or passed, when things are going slow tos tart with after surgery it causes gas pain- by getting mobile as soon aspossbilbe post op you will help speed things up both by passing the gas and getting things movng again!

Post op pain should be less as most of the pain post band is from the post but we all know bansdster who have had nasty gas pain,i gues youcould be lucky with one and not so lucky with the next op> even so, it should not be as bad or as dangerous as a really bad episode of cholecystitis ( gall bladder attack)

[Alexandra 55]

No advice, since I still have my GB and (knock wood) have no stones, but I wanted to wish you the best of luck for a painless, uneventful surgery!!

[mariaxoxo4u 0]

I always had GB attacks but was misdiagnosed for years (put on Previcid for reflux). When I got pregnant those attacks became bigger and more frequent - finally at 8 months pregnant and several trips to the ER it was confirmed - gall stones. Had c-section on July 7 and GB removal on July 28. It's mildly uncomfortable. Not having your GB does not affect your life too much but as gwhite said, some bathroom emergencies - but I am NOT banded yet - so I agree eating healthier, as you do with the band, will eliminate those unfavorable experiences.

Good luck to you! you'll be fine!

Maria

[HamuChan 0]

After i lost a bunch of weight my gallbladder went nuts and I ended up in the ER. I had to have emergency surgery to have it removed.

The surgery is about as painful as having the band. Your pain level really depends on you, but for me it was a bit less painful than the band.

After the surgery high fat foods give me stomach aches and don't agree with my body. I really can't do anything fried or cheesy unless I want issues.

Good luck!

[Margie122 845]

Hi,

I had my gallbladder surgery on a Thursday and was back to work the following Tuesday. I have a desk job. The only pain I had was from the air they pump into you during the surgery. It was painful to lay on my left side. Other than that it was a piece of cake, if surgery can be easy

I have not had any other "issues" following the surgery and (unfortunately) my diet hasn't changed! (Not yet anyway).

Good luck!

[Wheetsin 714]

Thanks for the replies!

Band surgery wasn't bad for me at all. I went home about 4 hours after the actual procedure, and 15 mins into recovery room I was asking to be discharged. No gas problems at all. My biggest discomfort was, aside from the actual port incision, that I was allergic to the adhesive they placed over my staples.

I hear so many mixed reports on post-GB removal. I spoke with a woman last night who swore that even just yogurt send her running to the toilet within 10 minutes.

BTW, came across this looking at more information:

Rapid weight loss in obese women is one of the major causes of gallstone formation. A review of studies by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland, reveals that 12 percent of 390 overweight people who went on 520- to 840-calorie diets for 8 to 16 weeks developed gallstones.

The cause? Their gallbladders didn't get enough food to stimulate the contractions that would allow it to empty. Cholesterol was allowed to build up and thicken, and gallstones were the result.

That's why anyone who's planning on using a super-low-calorie diet to lose some serious weight--say 40 or 50 pounds--should also take ursodeoxycholic acid, says Dr. Pitt. The acid--actually a form of bear bile that's sold by prescription as Actigall--will help prevent stone formation.