anyone had a Gallbladder removed?
 

I just found out today i have to have mine removed at the end of april, early may. Anyone had it done that can shed some light on the operation?? i'm SO nervous!

Yes, I have had mine removed. It should be a simple proccess. I will be thinking of you hun. PM if you need to. Or call me!!!!!!!!! I would love to talk to you and baby Layla!!!
HUGSSSSSS

I've had three friends that have and one was actually 5 months pregnant when it had to be done. The surgery is relatively minor (as if surgery is ever really "minor")..... recovery time wasn't too bad. They have issues with eating certain foods since the gallbladder does play a part in digestion issues but it's nothing serious. Maybe you'll get a response from someone that's experienced the surgery first hand. I just know my friends all said it was fairly easy and that they felt so much better afterwards.

Edited to say.... looks like I was posting the same time as above poster. Glad to see she agrees with what my friends say. Good luck!

Yep, I have.

I have had 5 surgeries in the past 3-1/2 years and the gall bladder one was the easiest. :) There was almost no pain. It depends if they are going to do it laparoscopically or if they have to make the big incision. I didn't have the big incision. Just the tiny ones, so that makes a difference. One thing I didn't like is that they used staples instead of stitches and I won't let them do that again. I hated that feeling and looking at me and seeing metal hanging in my skin. Yuck! Some of them were only half way in so I had to pull those out myself.

So - it shouldn't be too bad! I wish you the best!:)

I haven't, but I manage a General Surgeons' office and we do them all the time! It is the most common and most simple surgery to perform, if it is done laparoscopically. Good luck! :)

Hey... they are going to do the Laparoscopy... thank god.. and i know there are bigger issues here.. but how are the scars??? i'm glad that i will feel better after but i don't want scars on my stomach.. i've worked hard to get inot shape.. and i feel like all of that is for not... i knwo i know.. call me full of myself... but i was just wondering how big they are and how noticable... i'm sure tomorow i'll look back at this post and be liie.. what was i thinking.. but today it matters....

I had mine removed it will be 3 years in August it is a very simple procedure. I ended up having to spend the night in the hosp because the anesthesia(sp) made me sick but other than that I was up and around a couple of days later.

Good Luck

Mine aren't that noticeable now. You can always use cocoa butter or that medicine for scars.

I had mine out last January the surgery wasn't bad but i'm not gonna lie it does hurt after mostly like really bad gas pain it's from the air they pump into you during the surgery but after that first day it will subside and you will just be tender. The scars are tiny not noticeable at all and recovery is super fast like 2-3 days. I had some complications from mine but it is rare. Trust me if you had pain like i did before i got it out it's worth anypain to get rid of it. Before i got mine out everytime i had an attack i thought i was seriously dying it was so painful i couln'd even move. I have a few phantom pains but it doesn't bother me. Also you do have to becarful what you eat after because you will get serious diareah if you eat to much fat or grease. good luck it's worth it if you have pain and stones. If you need anything please let me know

I had mine out and there are only like 3 little scars that you can hardly see at all. I was in no pain at all, just a little discomfort from the gas they fill you with. I had no stitches...they glued me.

Only problem afterwards and to this day...certain foods will pass right through you...so if you go out to eat, be sure wherever you go afterwards, there is a toilet close by. It's the most common complaint among those who have had it removed. Sure keeps you cleaned out though...lol

Please don't worry...it really is a simple procedure now days.

I had my gallbladder out 10 years ago. The procedure and recovery was not that bad. I had to spend the night in the hospital and I had a drain tube in, and when the doctor pulled the drain tube out it was painful but it was fast. I also had the laproscopic procedure so I have 3 small scars on my abdomen. The day after surgery I had to go back to the er with vomiting and had a mild case of pancreatitis. If I had it to do over I wouldn't have jumped into having the surgery. I had gall stones and there are natural remedies that can disolve the stones. I don't know if that really works but it would have been worth a try. The chronic diarrhea that goes with having a cholecystectomy is pretty bad. I have also had several attacks of elevated liver enzymes since then that is probably related to having the surgery. The common bile duct can be damaged suring surgery and it causes future problems (that is what they suspect happened to me), but it is rare. I would just make sure that the surgery is completely necessary before you do it because I think the surgery is performed un-necessarily too often. But if you are having problems you definetly need to have it removed because that can also cause alot of problems. I had only one attack (but it was a bad one) and I went to the doctor and found out I had gall stones, and I had the surgery. I was in nursing school at the time and I could not afford to miss any more days due to gall bladder attacks. I just wish I had tried the natural gall stone disolving stuff. Good luck to you. There are risks for complications in any procedure and the laproscopic cholecystectomy is probably one the least riskiest surgery you could have. You will be fine, just make sure you stay near a bathroom for about an hour after you eat, everytime you eat-especially if it is something greasy and fatty...:eek:

I can relate to that. But, with me it's not the same foods all the time. I had that problem before I had mine removed as well.

Geez, I don't even remember them putting the gas in me. If they, I didn't have any problems aftewards and I did with a couple of other surgeries. It's true about eating afterwards. I love Chinese buffets and I found out real soon that that they don't like me anymore. It has gotten better as time goes by, but not totally gone. I think I'm going to try to take an anti-diah. tablet sometime before I go there and see if that will help or not. That's about the only food I've had trouble with. Course, maybe it's just cause I eat too much of it.:D

I had a laparoscopy (not for my gallbladdder though) and the scars are not bad and the recovery was fairly quick. I'm sorry you have to have surgery but I hope it helps you feel better :)

Let me know if you need anything~

Had mine out a few years ago. Really not a big deal, I was in the hospital in the morning and out by the afternoon. I've had toothaches that hurt more.

I just had mine out in September and was in the hospital for 2 days. I have 4 scars (2 are about 1/2" and 2 are about 1/4") one just below my belly button, two on my right side abdomen approximately 3 inches apart on one at my sternum. They are still visible but judging by my almost invisible c-sec scar they will be gone eventually. Sorry to be so graphic - just trying to be helpful. :D I don't have any of the digestion problems - and am so glad to never have an "attack" again - those are horrendous! Good luck - I'm sure it will be fine.

I had mine out too
 

I had mine out too. I did run into complications but I was misdiagnosed for a couple of years so mine was badly infected. You would know if that was the case - I was constantly nauseous the last few weeks to month. The did try to remove my laparoscopically and I had a small scar right near my belly button which you can not even see. By the way, I had mine out about 7 years ago. They had told me that chances if they were able to do it laparoscopically like usual, I would've gone home the same day. Unfortunately they wound up having to do the full surgery and I do have a quite a large scar from that - probably 6 inches from my side all the way to the middle of my belly. So I hope you are able to just have the quick and easy version. By the way, I was only out of work for a week and went back part time the week after that so even with the major surgery, I was not in that much pain.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.;)

Yes i did at 23 It was a fast and easy operation. And the one thing I did like about it was that I lost weight after . I needed to. the recovery was about a week till I went back to work and only side affects I had were fatty gassy foods went right though me. I wish you well.

How long did that last for you? (eating fatty foods) Do they still bother you at all?

I did....
 

had mine out about 3 years ago. I was an out patient and had surgery at 9 and went home at 4:00. I flew to Chicago the next day for a job interview....so it must not have been too bad...LOL.... My only issue is that I get nauseated with pain meds....and I vomited my guts out in the recovery room..I dont think most people do that....but anytime I have anesthesia that happens....

I have three little scars....one in my belly button.....the others are barely noticeable......I am pretty much able to eat what I want to now....no issues...although popcorn gives me a little stomach ache.....

I was scared speechless....and had the nicest nurse before and after surgery, she made me feel so much better after she talked with me...

Good luck you will do fine....and feel a lot better too!!!:thumbup:

I had mine removed and it was a very easy surgery, yes there is some discomfort but nothing close to the gallbladder attacks...omg those were sooooo horrible...id never want to have an attack ever again....so ya its pretty painless...

Dawn

join the club
 

I had mine out several years ago by lap. Stayed 1 day and when I went to go home my surgeon gave me a list of don't do this instructions e.g. heavy lifting etc. I told him I was flying to Fla. the day after and he said no. After I told him ithat if I stayed home I would probably clean the house, he said ok go. 2 days after going to Florida I got bored and was walking a mile or more.
I wont lie I did have some pain after but Tylenol took care of it. There were 3 little incision sites, which he closed with steri strips and today I can't find the scars except for 1 that is inside my belly button dent (that one I can feel with my finger-ok so now you all know I stick my finger in my belly button:rolleyes: ). I have no problem with eating (:D ) and have had no bowel problems. I should have done it sooner but was too chicken.

I had mine out when I was 24. It was a piece of cake.