Gallbladder surgery tomorrow!!!

[Louu247]

Please can I have your experiences of gallbladder removal? Due to get mine out tomorrow I am so nervous! Recovery time ect ect…

I think it was being upside down for the 2 hours of the op. The robot prefers that position. My head was pointing at the floor.

Oh dear that doesent sound good!! Xx

Thanks everyone for your experiences, I will pop back on here tomorrow to let yous all know how it went! Xx

I found caesarean section recovery far worse, I've had 5 of those !

And yes I was able to drive home next day as I had no pain .
Everyone is different.

I spent 2 nights in the hospital afterwards (weird reaction to the anaesthetic) but after that was absolutely fine. Able to do most things totally normally after 2 weeks, 6 months before I could do normal sit ups though 🤣🤣 Being pain free was fabulous though, it’s been life changing for me. I can live a totally normal life and eat anything I want. Except fish and chips….i can still eat those, but need to stay near a toilet afterwards! Other than that, I forget I’ve had it done.

How long were you all on waiting lists for?

I'm currently waiting...

@Louu247 how did you drive 2 days after a section?! Get lots of peppermint tea and rennie great for dispelling the air. Good luck OP x

I had mine out just over a year ago - not bad at all! Sore for a few days, slept upright on the sofa for 2/3 nights as I wasn't comfortable in bed. Had two weeks off work, probably could have done with another one but that's because I did a physical job (and my ex boss was shit at making sure I wasn't over doing it)

I know you didn't ask, but my tips for anyone having this done - V shaped pillow and none wired bra for recovery!

Terrible pain from gas and had some sort of drain that needed to be removed the day after which was horrendously painful to remove.
Hasn't been the same since in terms of not being able to tolerate fatty foods such as fish and chips.

My actual surgery was fine, it the same day, felt very woozy after the GA but I'd not had I've before so didn't know what to expect.
I have 3 tiny scars, SIL had the same op and has 5/6 and a couple of them are quite big and messy , we had different hospitals/surgeons, so I think it depends (mine was a woman 😁). I also didn't have any digestive issues after she does, but our diets are quite different, I have PCOS so try and low carb/wholegrains only and lots of veg and lean protein. Having said that my op was only a couple of months before Christmas and I ate anything and everything and was fine.

I felt sick and like I'd been run over for a fair few days although I think that was the dihydrocodeine more than the actual op. I definitely wasn't driving after 2 days. I was back at the gym (without heavy lifting) after two weeks though, swimming and cardio. I definitely felt more tired than usual and slept more the first week. I didn't think prior that I would need the recommended two weeks off but I did and I don't have a physical job.

Hey OP!
I can promise you its going to be the best thing you will have done. I had mine with keyhole surgery and the sheer relief I just cannot explain. I can say it is uncomfortable for about 10 days in my opinon based on me! I had terrible wind following the op but apparently that is expected and its uncomfortable but not painful. Nowhere near the pain and discomfort I felt when my gallbladder was acting up before. I became more bendy after 5 days but think that was me scared if I would pull something! You will go on great and you will be so relieved you did it I promise you.

Recovery was worse than I expected - I also wasn't expecting 4 wounds. One of them is 2cm, raised and dark red 2 years later, but the others are just marks now. I took 3 weeks off. It's the best thing I ever did - I had put up with it for 20 years and got to the stage where I felt unwell all the time, even when I wasn't having an attack,and I had 12 hour severe attacks. I was stupid. A couple of weeks of soreness is definitely worth it. I have no negative after effects.

I had mine removed last November - it was absolutely fine! I was so nervous as it was my first operation/first time under GA. It went really smoothly, post op was great, they had me under a lovely heated blanket and gave me meds for nausea which was my only discomfort really and it got rid of it fairly instantly. Just slept on and off then til it was home time the next day! I took a week off work and was definitely feeling pretty much 100% by day 5/6. Very best of luck to you - you'll be grand :) the RELIEF not having the gallstone pain anymore!

I had my gall bladder out two days before my daughter's first birthday. I was fine picking her up and engaging with the party as normal. The only issue I had was a small amount of abdominal pain and quite a bit of temporary shoulder pain. My op was around lunchtime, by dinnertime I was home making my own dinner (toast, nothing special!).

Also I suddenly felt so much better afterwards and realised I actually had a lot of pain on an ongoing basis that had clearly been caused by it but I hadn't realised. Definitely worth doing!

I had mine removed via keyhole surgery 12 years ago. The only thing I really remember is the incredible shoulder pain from the gas! It was horrendous!!

I had mine done about a year ago. I had to stay in overnight as I wasn't feeling great after the surgery but home the next day and felt absolutely fine within the week. In fact I couldn't believe how well I was feeling so I went shopping! That was a mistake as I'd pushed myself too far and felt like I'd been hit by a bus for days. I then somehow managed to get an infection in the belly button wound so was a bit uncomfortable while that sorted itself out. All in all I was back to normal within 3 weeks and have the tiniest scars which are barely visible.

Now I am so glad I never have to worry about gallstones. Just my other 98273 ailments!

I had keyhole surgery but mine was done after I was admitted to a&e. I was already ill before the op. By the time of the op I'd have done anything to get the bloody thing removed! Think I had about a 4 day wait from emergency admittance to the surgery.

Wasn't allowed to lift anything for a while after the surgery nor run but walking was ok. Definitely had gas and pain/discomfort in odd places for a couple of weeks but once that went, I had no problems at all. I found peppermint tea and ginger tea both helped.

Was so glad to get rid of the gallbladder as with hindsight, it had been causing trouble for ages.

Hope all goes well!

I had mine out in September after 2 years of constant attacks and the operation being cancelled on the day twice . Had op at 3pm and sent home at 9pm despite throwing up constantly and in a lot of pain. Couldn’t sleep for 3 nights too uncomfortable and felt like hit by bus for at least a week. Was told after keyhole removal not to lift anything heavier than a kettle for 6 weeks and no driving for 2 weeks at least . Not practical with. Disabled 13 year old but that’s another story. The incision by belly button definitely hurt the worst and I still can’t wear jeans 7 months later as the scar is uncomfortable, can’t wear underwired bras still either . But …. the relief at being able to eat what I want is amazing !

I don’t know I just recovered so quick, didint need any paid meds after I left hospital, I was walking round the shopping Centre for clothes on day 2!!

Thank you for all your lovely reply’s! I will update tomorrow!! Xxx

I had my gallbladder removed just over 4 weeks ago. I was very sore for a few days afterwards but only needed paracetamol. I had shoulder pain due to the gas but only for about 3 days. I had 3 cuts and only one of them is sore if pressed. I was a day surgery case, first on the list and I was home by 3 that afternoon. You will be fine OP and in a couple of weeks you will be eating without any fear of the dreaded gallstone attacks.

I was going to mention the burping!

My friend desperately wanted company as she was off work and home alone for a few days after her op, but she didn't want to invite anyone round because of the non-stop burping.

She was signed off work for 2 weeks but was well enough to go back to work after one. She stayed off and made the most of it though!

You wont regret it. Best surgery ever! Good luck