I will be scheduled for this soon. I have had a series of issues that have delayed my previously-posted knee replacement surgery which was scheduled for the week before Christmas when my daughter was home for break. The pre-op bloodwork showed elevated liver enzymes. After a detour to a quack gastroenterologist who falsely diagnosed fatty liver disease, I saw a liver specialist who ordered an MRI that found a stone in the common bile duct. That was removed 10 days ago in an ERCP (endoscopy), followed by two days home, then 5 days in the hospital for pancreatitis. Oy!
Anyway, I am home, feeling much better, and awaiting the next step and hopefully no more complication! I am about to be referred to a gall bladder surgeon. Any tips from the great collective wisdom of CC? Presumably it will be done laparascopically. Recovery time? Still trying to get my knee replaced eventually!
I had mine done when it was a brand new procedure. The recovery is just a few days. Some people have digestive issues after gallbladder surgery (when they consume fat). I personally have had no adverse effects whatsoever. I have never had to alter my diet; I really can tell no difference other than no longer having painful “attacks.”
I ended up staying overnight in the hospital, but otherwise it was not a problem. Recovery took about 5 days or so (I have issues with anesthesia and low blood pressure), and was more than happy to lie around the house.
I had a small, very firm pillow that I used in bed when lying on my side and later took it to work with me to go between belly and desk.
The worst was having to limit exercise. It was 4 weeks before I got the ok to run, but still had to take it easy. At two weeks I could do brisk walking.
I had mine down laparascopically years ago. My mom had hers done a couple months ago. It’s not a big deal and recovery time is pretty quick. The pain from the Gallbladder attacks was a lot worse than the surgery.
I have not had anything taken out, but I had an outpatient exploratory laparoscopy recently. I was at work the next day, went on vacation a week after, and swam in the ocean two weeks after the procedure. Mr. B had a laparoscopic appendicitis surgery, and he was back on his feet the day after the surgery and went to work less than 48 hours after the procedure. It is amazing how fast those little incisions heal. That said, we all heal and react to procedures and meds differently, so definitely have a helper nearby and follow the post-op instructions religiously. Fingers crossed for you.
When you have your intake exam, just be sure there are NOT stones in your bile duct(s). My kid had her gall bladder removed lapriscopically…but she had stones in her bile ducts that needed to be addressed separately.
Did fine with it though my recovery was a little longer. About a week to not be incapacitated and about a month of being tired and careful. Mine was very infected and almost not able to be done laparoscopic so that may have impacted recovery. No other effects. So much relief having it out.
Easy peasy. Had mine on a Monday and cooked Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Back in the pulpit on Sunday. I had some issues digesting fats for several months but took an over the counter enzyme that helped a lot.
I ate low fat for probably the first couple of weeks after it was done and gradually eased fats back into my diet. Honestly, the worst part was the shoulder pain! They pump some sort of gas into your abdominal cavity and it kinda has nowhere to go. Oh. And, I had an allergic reaction to the steri strips.
“They pump some sort of gas into your abdominal cavity and it kinda has nowhere to go.”
That’s CO2 gas that is used to inflate the belly so the internal organs can be easily accessed. It gets absorbed eventually, and the pain (was more like pressure for me) goes away in a couple of days.
I was in the hospital overnight also. Home the next day. Up and around as usual the day after that. My intestinal system did have to adjust to not having a place to store bile though and my ahem, elimination, was a bit liquidy for a while.
Well, I didn’t have any after effects for a few years but now I find that I really shouldn’t eat a hamburger from a restaurant (you know, the good greasy kind) unless I want to be in the bathroom a few hours later…and no fried chicken. I shouldn’t eat that anyways.
My father had this done in his 70s. He was pleased with the easy recovery. He did have to be careful about what he ate, though, for the rest of his life. His food choices definitely changed. If he wanted to eat a large portion of something, he made sure it wasn’t something fatty because he didn’t want the GI upset later.
My H had this done maybe 20 years ago. Quick recovery, no dietary problems, little scars barely visible. Sometimes he even forgets he doesn’t have a gall bladder!
Years ago I worked for one of the medical device manufacturers that pioneered laparoscopic surgery. It’s fascinating to watch a procedure. I imagine it was very difficult for older surgeons to adjust to the technique when it was new, but now it’s quite routine for cholecystectomies (just showing off that I remember my vocab) and other surgeries.
I had mine done about 3 years ago. I felt pretty good after the surgery, but after a few days, the shoulder/back pain started. I was pretty miserable for about a week and a half with that pain. The shoulder/back pain by far was the worst part for me.
Someone told me (afterwards) that walking can help relieve the shoulder pain. I wonder if a massage could work, also?
I had mine done laparoscopic outpatient. Was prepped at 7AM…had surgery at 8AM…and was on my own couch at home, eating a plain turkey subway sandwich at 1:30PM. Went back to work in two days (light duty, just answered phones and sat at a desk). Felt like myself the following Monday…
Tips: My doctor used local anesthetic on all the little abdominal muscle incisions…even though I was under gas anesthetic. This makes waking up a lot more comfortable and makes the car ride home more pleasant. My doc is also a firm believer in giving his patients motion sickness meds before abdominal surgeries because it seems to help prevent nausea. Worked well for me. Half a sandwich went down well just hours after surgery. No nausea.
Easiest surgery of my life. Would prefer it to a root canal. Good luck!
Will say that the lead up to the surgery kinda sucked. I lived on low fat cottage cheese for weeks…everything else made me super sick. Afterward, I felt so much better.
Last Thursday I went to the hospital for the surgery. Unfortunately the surgeon found that my gallbladder was overflowing with big stones, and she had to cut me open. On Friday in the hospital I had another ERCP where the doctor found a big stone in the common bile duct, removed it, and installed two bigger stents to make sure any leftovers would pass. I finally came home on Monday and I am doing ok, but it will be a while before I am out and about. I need my pain meds (Dilaudid) every 4 hours although I cut them in half because the zombie sleep the full dose induced caused my knee (still awaiting replacement surgery) to stay in an awkward position and ache when I woke up. The visiting nurse came today to make sure I was emptying the drain properly and she’ll be back tomorrow to change the dressing, which was leaking a bit, and show me how to do it myself. I am scheduled for yet another ERCP on April 5 to get rid of the stents and I am fervently hoping that that’s the end of it and that I can get my knee replaced in May.
I am 68 and live alone two flights up. I am so grateful for my friends who have stepped up to take me home, fill my prescriptions, leave me yummy food, etc., etc. After 30 years with virtually no medical issues whatsoever, I’ve had more than my share since September when the osteoarthritis in my knee made itself known.
@oldmom4896, glad you had the surgery and are on the mend! It’s great that you have good friends and that they are able to help you in your time of need. Take good care of yourself!