Gallbladder removal after Lap-Band?

[fakeDIY 0]

Hey everyone.

I was banded on May 18th and was losing weight steadily until August. Then things sped up! I lost nearly thirty pounds in two months. This, I believe, lead to gallstones and a very painful gallbladder attack. Anyway, long story short, I had my gallbladder removed yesterday. I've been reading some stuff on the internet, and I'm really worried because a lot of people were talking about how much weight they'd gained after the removal. Has anyone else had to have their gallbladder removed after having the lap-band? And did you gain weight rather than losing it? Also, does anyone take any supplements or Vitamins after gallbladder surgery? I was reading about bile salts, Fiber pills, and digestive enzymes.

Any help? I'd hate for all my hard work to go down the drain!

[kiz 1]

Also, does anyone take any supplements or Vitamins after gallbladder surgery? I was reading about bile salts, fiber pills, and digestive enzymes.

Any help? I'd hate for all my hard work to go down the drain!

My gb surgery was pre banding, but I can answer for the second part.

Nope, no extra meds except fiber. Many bandsters need additional fiber, so I don't know if that's due to me not having a gb or just par for the course. Pre-banding, I never had to add fiber suppliments though.

I take a regular multivitamin/mineral like most other banders, and after a year, all my bloodwork came back normal. I noticed very little difference in my digestion after the gb surgery except that I was just a tad more sensitive to higher fat foods. That's not an issue now, since I rarely have those high fat foods, and if I do have something, it's such a small amount that it doesn't affect me.

[fakeDIY 0]

Thanks, kiz! Did you notice any weight gain after the gb surgery (if you don't mind me asking)? Or do you find it harder to lose weight because of the gb removal?

Edited October 29, 2009 by fakeDIY

[kiz 1]

I don't mind you asking at all, but it's a hard question for me to answer. I had my surgery right after my final and third child was born over 15 years ago, and with each pregnancy I put on more weight. It had been a steady incline set in motion after my first pregnancy. My best answer is that I had been gaining weight for five years at that point, and I didn't notice a marked increase of weight gain after my gb surgery, but I continued to gain weight over the years. There's plenty of over weight to obese people in my family, but only my mom and I had to have our gall bladders removed. This is not scientific, but in all honesty, I don't believe losing your gall bladder will in any way affect your weight loss.