1. < Digestive Health

Gallbladder surgery coming up this week

Posted by libertyusa @libertyusa, Jun 22, 2019

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?

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libertyusa | @libertyusa | Jun 24, 2019
In reply to @imallears "@tennisgolf I had open gallbladder surgery 40 years ago before laparoscopic was used. About 10 years..." + (show)
@imallears

@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

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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.....

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1 reply
libertyusa | @libertyusa | Jun 24, 2019
In reply to @gingerw "@tennisgolf What does your primary care Dr say? That person knows you best. Is your concern..." + (show)
@gingerw

@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

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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.

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2 replies
Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Jun 24, 2019
In reply to @libertyusa "Love your post. I just always find it hard to accept ANYTHING is wrong physically because..." + (show)
@libertyusa

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!!!

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@tennisgolf - yes, you can still get gallstones after surgery. I ended up with “sludge”. They just made the bile duct opening larger- was fine. If I eat certain fatty foods I still get cramps and pain for a while. Just avoiding certain fats nowadays.

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1 reply
imallears | @imallears | Jun 24, 2019
In reply to @libertyusa "Love your post. I just always find it hard to accept ANYTHING is wrong physically because..." + (show)
@libertyusa

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!!!

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@tennisgolf
Hi,

Gallstones that are in the biliary ducts can occur after gallbladder removal and, of course, sometimes , there are stones left behind after removal. If you are in reasonably good health with no gastrointestinal problems and have had symptoms only for less than a year, I wouldn’t wait until it got worse. My gallbladder was filled to the very top and some into the bile duct. Couldn’t believe the imaging pictures that I remember to this day. I can eat anything I want and have no intestinal problems whatsoever. You may be overthinking this and stressing yourself out . There are risks with every surgery. This is a common surgery. Asking questions is great but I don’t know what else he can tell you.

Doctors don’t generally practice holistic medicine and treat the patient as a whole. You are just another gallbladder. If you trust him and he has had mucho experience then go for it. My cataract surgeon left me cold personally but he had done thousands of cataract surgeries so I picked him. Also, everything you read on the internet is not true. If you want to find the worse things that can happen...Goggle will find it for you.

Good luck
FL Mary

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1 reply
debiobrien | @debiobrien | Jun 24, 2019
In reply to @libertyusa "Love your post. I just always find it hard to accept ANYTHING is wrong physically because..." + (show)
@libertyusa

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!!!

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there can always be problems or complication even with the simplest surgeries or even procedures.,,. i think they have to say that as a precaution. but i had the surgery and it was so easy. i went home the same day and did well. my sister had the more invasive one and stayed overnight in the hospital and did great and was back on her feet in a couple days and all healed in a few weeks. now days its a pretty common surgery. im sure you will be fine. if you are a believer just give it over to god and he will take care of it and you. he is the great physician ! you will be just fine !!! don't do what i did and wait you will regret that i have irreversible damage to my stomach and esophagus and my life is rough due to that.

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debiobrien | @debiobrien | Jun 24, 2019
In reply to @libertyusa "Thanks to you and to others. Encouragement is very helpful. My surgeon is young - practicing..." + (show)
@libertyusa

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.....

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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.

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1 reply
debiobrien | @debiobrien | Jun 24, 2019
In reply to @libertyusa "Thank you for your comments. I actually do realize they cannot "wake me up" and ask..." + (show)
@libertyusa

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.

Jump to this post

my sister had it more invasive and she did great. went home the next day had stitches out in 10 days and was all healed in about 4 weeks. shes so happy she did it. you will be fine but pray they can do it laparoscopy if not you will still be fine !! its not that big of an incision the gall bladder is really tiny !!

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libertyusa | @libertyusa | Jun 24, 2019

Gosh - I am sorry to hear that............best to you.

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libertyusa | @libertyusa | Jun 24, 2019
In reply to @debiobrien "he sounds awesome i LOVE the young doctors they are so well trained in all the..." + (show)
@debiobrien

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.

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I liked your upbeat message. (BTW I had total hyst. when I was 41. And, again, have always been active and healthy and in pretty good shape. I never knew if that surgery was overkill (back in 1980's I guess it was a different time) as no cancer was discovered. BUT, I INSISTED I HAVE ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY to replace the hormones I lost. My surgeon said NO as cyst could have been hormone dependent. So I went to another fairly well-known gynecological endocrinologist at an excellent hospital in NYC who gave me ERT for about 10 years. (I eventually stopped the Premarin as it became controversial - but continued the Provera).

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1 reply
debiobrien | @debiobrien | Jun 24, 2019
In reply to @astaingegerdm "@tennisgolf - yes, you can still get gallstones after surgery. I ended up with “sludge”. They..." + (show)
@astaingegerdm

@tennisgolf - yes, you can still get gallstones after surgery. I ended up with “sludge”. They just made the bile duct opening larger- was fine. If I eat certain fatty foods I still get cramps and pain for a while. Just avoiding certain fats nowadays.

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i have never heard of this happening. i had no problems after my surgery and it was in 2012.

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