Contemplating NOT having suggested gallbladder surgery!

There is significant danger in waiting until you get very sick- you are not a good candidate for surgery then, especially if there is an infection too. I had mine out at 47- early laparoscopic days. My daughter had hers out at 19. You have to sign consent for open surgery in case it becomes necessary due to complications.
I am also 70+ and have realized my body is not as tough as it used to be even if my brain says I’m around 35!

@tennisgolf

I had open gallbladder surgery 40 years ago before laparoscopic was used. About 10 years later my husband had the laparoscopic. They won’t know the entire condition of your gall bladder until they start the laparoscope and can see if via the camera. If it looks diseased or inflamed they will opt for the open surgery. I understand your concerns but my opinion is, you don’t have another option. You can control your pain with diet like you have tried but it’s not going to improve and may get worse. You have only had your symptoms for 7 months so chances are you are good for the laparoscope. Recovery from the open surgery is not that bad. I waited 5 years before I had mine done....the gall bladder at that point was packed with stones. I went months between symptoms until they started occurring more frequently. No one likes invasive surgery much less going under anesthesia. Have this done now as an elective surgery. You don’t need the gallbladder anyway and the doctors are right. I’ve known of emergency gallbladder surgery on someone and you don’t want that to happen. If you are basically healthy you’ll be just fine and won’t have to worry about unpredictable pain....stress brings on gallbladder pain also. Come back and tell us what you have decided.

Regards from FL Mary

@tennisgolf What does your primary care Dr say? That person knows you best. Is your concern having to agree to open surgery if they have problems, even if they plan for laproscopic? Once you are under anesthesia, they cannot wake you up to ask you to sign consent and then put you back to sleep! So they need to have everything ready to go in case they need to change what they originally plan for. Or you could have someone act as your medical directive for the surgery and then that person would have to make the decision and agreement for open surgery if they came out to him/her in the middle of surgery and said, "there's a problem we need to do an open surgery". You are asking my opinion and of course I am not a doctor and cannot give medical advice. I think it sounds like they have explained everything to you clearly. If you have any reservations ask your questions of them now. Ask your surgeon if this was his sister or Aunt asking his advice what would he tell them regarding having the surgery. And see how he responds. Good luck to you and please let us know what you decide! We Care!
Ginger

Love your post. I just always find it hard to accept ANYTHING is wrong physically because I believe either it is exaggerated by doctors or I alone can overcome it. I will probably go through with the surgery, but I have read about various types of complications or problems. One is that even after gallbladder removal, one can still get gallstones!!!

Love your post. I just always find it hard to accept ANYTHING is wrong physically because I believe either it is exaggerated by doctors or I alone can overcome it. I will probably go through with the surgery, but I have read about various types of complications or problems. One is that even after gallbladder removal, one can still get gallstones!!!

Love your post. I just always find it hard to accept ANYTHING is wrong physically because I believe either it is exaggerated by doctors or I alone can overcome it. I will probably go through with the surgery, but I have read about various types of complications or problems. One is that even after gallbladder removal, one can still get gallstones!!!

Thanks to you and to others. Encouragement is very helpful. My surgeon is young - practicing about 10 years. He is a trauma surgeon; a general surgeon - I told him I hoped my case was "interesting enough" to hold his concentration. I suppose that sounds rude, but I am trying to have him see me as ME and not just another patient (ho hum). Yes, I do sound like I am being a bit harsh.....

Thank you for your comments. I actually do realize they cannot "wake me up" and ask permission for more invasive surgery. My children live out of state, and there is no one else I would ask to be an advocate. I imagine it is just easier for surgeon to "go all the way" if there is even a little issue rather than take a chance on Laparoscopic. I am seeing him today to ask more questions. I had asked how many surgeries he has performed. He said "a thousand". (He has only been practicing 10 years.) But I neglected to ask the # of GALLBLADDER surgeries and also how successful they were or if complications. To respond to you, my primary care internist (for 23 years) says it is better to have the operation now when (hopefully) there are no complications and no emergency. I have to make myself accept that thinking.

To my complete surprise I have gallstones (am a 70+ year old female). My symptoms for 7 months have not been devastating; I could live with them. Only had 2 bad attacks (even they were not tremendous pain) - but they were not fun; others were minor. Problem is, you cannot predict when you will have an attack. I have the symptoms: urine that is pale half the time and medium YELLOW half the time; big pressure in upper quadrant of stomach for several hours here and there (longest was 8 hours); weird and diverse stools and a total change in regularity and amount. I was determined to manage this with diet. I had some success but every professional I speak to says "take it out!!". Once you start having symptoms it is time to act before it gets worse and gallstone gets stuck in bile duct etc., etc. Their point is it is easy to manage "elective" removal than to have many problems if it develops too far. I object! to losing a body part. But I am going to have the surgery. Here's the dilemma: Laparoscopic is easy with quick recovery - not invasive. However, you have to agree to having OPEN surgery if they have difficulty or discover something else. This is a more serious surgery, much longer recovery time and I guess more follow-up issues. I am very healthy - so I am disgusted to have to invade my body.My surgeon is young and says he has a ton of experience in gallbladder and other surgeries. 2 doctors I know recommend him. I feel like I should wait until I am really sick; but, again, the common approach is to take it out once the gallstones start causing problems. What would you do?

he sounds awesome i LOVE the young doctors they are so well trained in all the new techniques and things. they are the best. all my doctors except 1 are all young ones. my gyno doc is 34 and im 64 and she did a total hysterectomy on me last years and it was awesome. i love her and she could be my daughter. shes a great doctor. and yours being trauma surgeon your got the best kind there. your blessed.