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Original poster

Gallbladder op tomorrow

79 replies

mummynumnum · 31/01/2011 19:00

Care to share your experiences/stories?

OP posts:
BecauseItoldYouSo · 31/01/2011 19:11

I had mine a year and a half ago now. I waited for a year and a half on an NHS waiting list and went through utter HELL. I just had my DD and her first year and a bit of life was the worst of mine (nothing to do with DD but all down to my Gall stones).

I was in and out of hospital about 10-20times a month. I was sooooooooooooooooo relieved to get it out.

The operation itself was very quick, totally routine and uneventful. I was however in a Massive amount of pain after the surgery and needed joblots of Morphine (they could have knocked out 3 grown men with what they gave me). It was the gas that they blow into your abdomen for the surgery that caused all of the pain. I also vomited [sorry TMI] alot after the OP but that was mostly because of all of the morphine. It was keyhole surgery and done with 5 little cuts. They don't even use stiches, just the little strips.

They sometimes have to convert to an open surgery if there is problems which would mean a longer stay in hospital but I think that it only happens in 15% of cases (I am sure that your surgeon will explain this if they already haven't).

It was done as a day OP but I had to stay in for 2 days as I kept vomiting. Most other people left that same day. I then had to go back 2 weeks later for the pathology and for the surgeon to check the wounds.

It took a while to go back to eating normally as I could not possibly get into my head that I would now be ok and not have any further attacks.

It has healed up great and you hardly notice the scars now. I keep my Big jar full of gallstones on my desk next to my computer just to remind me now. Grin.

Good luck, the surgery changed my life.

happygilmore · 31/01/2011 19:17

My DH had this and he recovered so quickly. Was on morphine the first day, day two just paracetamol and ibuprofen, day three same, day four nothing. He went from looking like an old man hunched over in pain to back to his old self within a few days. All healed brilliantly too.

Hope it goes well.

lucykate · 31/01/2011 19:20

am reading all this with interest. dh is waiting to have his op, seeing consultant in march.

themildmanneredjanitor · 31/01/2011 19:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

girliefriend · 31/01/2011 19:27

I had the op as an emergency after suffering really badly throughout my pregnancy with gallstones. Got to the point after my dd was born that I was struggling to look after her as I was so ill with it. Also had keyhole surgery but only 4 small cuts. I stayed in overnight and went home next day. Don't recall needing a lot of painkillers, I did get pain in my shoulder which is to do with a nerve that they sometimes hit! Was a relief to be rid of it and nice to be able to eat again, however I have found since being gallbladderless that I still can't eat certain fatty foods as it gives me stomach ache and the runs! I also more recently have had gastritis and I have a feeling this in linked to the bile leaking into the stomach although the drs don't like to acknowledge this!

Original poster
mummynumnum · 31/01/2011 22:16

Thanks for sharing. I was in as an emergency over xmas on iv drip. 7 day stay and 4 cancelled ops. Let me out and this is my re-scheduled date so praying goes ahead. I am hoping to be out the same day and back to work on Monday. Here's hoping.

OP posts:
Original poster
mummynumnum · 01/02/2011 08:40

Called at 7-730. did not want me in then, so sat by phone waiting. Please dont let it be another cancellation.

OP posts:
BecauseItoldYouSo · 01/02/2011 12:40

Sorry to hear it....I know what the cancellations are like. You get yourself ready for the surgery and then BAM! they cancel it at the last minute.

I made sure that I got on a first name basis with the consultants secretary and spoke to her regularly as they do have some pull.

ceebeegeebies · 01/02/2011 12:49

Mummynumnum I had the op about 18 months ago and it was very straightforward. It was done keyhole (my surgeon told me that it is only 5% of cases that need a more open operation).

Had the op about 10am, was back in my room by 12pm and eating sandwiches Grin They would have let me go home that evening but it was a private hospital (through the NHS - I am not rich or anything Wink) and I had my own room and I quite fancied staying in the night with no children to worry about etc so I did!! I was discharged by 10am the next morning and had no complications at all. I had a 2-week sicknote from the hospital for work but, to be honest, I could have gone back after a week.

Was back at the gym after 10 days and now, you can barely see the scars as they are just tiny marks on my tummy.

In fact, the surgeon actually sorted my belly button out (bless him) as I had a huge scar (about the size of a 50p) above it due to an infected pierced belly button about 10 years ago - the surgeon actually stitched the scar into my belly button so now I have no scar at all!

Sorry - a bit rambling but wanted to let you know that it can be very straight-forward. I have read several posts on here over the last couple of years that are very negative about the op and the after-effects with regards to diet etc but I had no problems whatsoever and have been able to eat whatever I wanted ever since the operation with no side-effects Smile

pigpog · 01/02/2011 16:41

I had mine out 3 weeks ago tomorrow.

Mine was emergency surgery due to the gallbladder becoming infected so this may change what the recovery is like...

I went for my op at 6pm, came out to recovery at 9pm. The reason it took so long was because some of the bile and stones leaked out, and I bled a bit, normally it takes an hour.

Recovery I refused morphine as I wanted to breastfeed as soon as I was back on the ward again (DS2 is 5 months), but the pain wasn't too bad. Back down on the ward at 11pm, nurses brought me some food and drink, and I was able to feed DS.

Next morning they got me out of bed (which was horrendous the first time, but got easier very quickly, just take your time) and I also had to have extra antibiotics (just covering in case the infection was anywhere else) and then I was allowed home after I'd had some lunch.

After the op I had quite a lot of shoulder pain, which they said was because of the carbon dioxide they use to inflate your abdomen, but within a couple of days that had gone. Now the only pain I have is where my gallbladder was, when I take a deep breath. My Dr has assured me that this is normal though, just bruising. I stopped taking any painkillers about 4 days post op, before then I was only on ibuprofen and paracetamol.

I've had a bit of a problem with diarrhoea (sorry if TMI), but seems to be getting back to normal now.

I had stitches which needed to be removed, which was fine, I have 4 holes, 1 in my belly button, 1 at the front in the middle (if that makes sense!) and 2 under the right hand side of my ribs. I had to have a drain which was sewn in to one of the holes, that was taken out before I was allowed home.

Sorry that I've gone on, it's all very fresh in my mind so I wanted to make sure I've told you what I can remember! I feel fine now, just this pain in my side. Remember to take it easy afterwards, it's easy to forget what major surgery it is when there's only small holes on the outside!

BluddyMoFo · 01/02/2011 16:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

girliefriend · 01/02/2011 17:41

I think you're being slightly over ambitious if you want to go straight back to work, it is still fairly major surgery. I think you will need at least a week pref two weeks to recover. Someone I work with took 6 weeks off, I can't really remember how long it took till I felt 'normal' again as I had a newborn and was also recovering from a c.section!

AvonCallingBarksdale · 01/02/2011 18:04

Had mine out about 5 years ago. Keyhole surgery, and I have 3 very small scars now. I was in and out in the same day, which, with hindsight, was a bit too quick. Probably could have donw with staying in a night. Changed my life, and that is NOT an exaggeration. Good luck.

BeenBeta · 01/02/2011 18:21

mummy - had mine out 2 yrs ago. Keyhole, in and out same day. Took 6 weeks to properly recover. Definitley s major surgery. You will not be able to work straight away or expet tobe able todrive either - at all. You will find looking after DCs or any household task really arduous and really should not expect to do much for 2 weeks.

In addition I had pretty terrible acid indigestion (and still have) which does require careful eating.

I am imeasurably better though.

fudgesmummy · 01/02/2011 18:25

I had mine out 2 years ago after being ill for 5 years. I am very over weight and they wouldn't do the op unless I lost weight. In the end I had to be taken to hospital by ambulance as an emergency as I had pancratitus and they had to do the op to save my life.compared to the pain I was in before the pain after the op was mild!! I was in hospital for 3 days before the op on a drip and with a catheter and not alowed to eat anything and came home the day after the op I had 2 weeks off work (i'm a childminder)and had to be care full with lifting the children for another 4 weeks.

Original poster
mummynumnum · 01/02/2011 18:58

It was cancelled again. I live in hope for gallbladder removal one day. They have cancelled 5 times in total!

OP posts:
lizandlulu · 01/02/2011 19:38

i had mine out 4 years ago after suffering with pain for over a year. my dad paid for me to go private so i dint have to wait or anything.

prior to having the operation i had a gall stone blocking the gall bladder and causing peritonitis which made me go yellow as the blockage forces all of the crap that should be going into your gall bladder, into your blood (or something like that) resulint in a 4 day stay in hopsital, any way, the doctor said it could have killed me if i left it much longer before going to hosoital (also why dad paid for me to go private is we was scared of that happening again)

the actual operation was fine, scary if you havent done anything like that before, but like other, mine was keyhole which has left 4-5 tiny scars, and spent one night in hospital, i remember being on painkillers, but not being in much pain after and it was fairly straight forward. best thing i ever did! not having to suffer the pain anymore was bliss.

hope you get yours soon and it all goes well

girliefriend · 01/02/2011 19:44

op I would advise going to a and e when you next have a bad attack or going to the gp every time you have a bad attack as they will eventually IME admit you as an emergency!!! Thats what I did in the end and I think the gp just got sick of the sight of me!!!

lizandlulu · 01/02/2011 19:49

thats what i did, just felt so rough on the new years day that i couldtn even pick dd up and couldnt stop being sick even though nothing was coming up so got dropped off at a and e, thats when they did tests then rushed me to a bigger hospitalSad not nice

Original poster
mummynumnum · 01/02/2011 21:01

I was admitted with pancreatitis just before xmas and they cancelled the op 3 times whilst in there! After 5 cancellations can I insist the trust send me to a private hospital? I referred my concerns to Pals and they have been poor as well. Don't know where to go next!

OP posts:
BeenBeta · 01/02/2011 21:09

You can get your GP to use the 'Choose and Book' system to get you refered to an NHS hospital anywhere. He/she will be unaware of how often you have been cancelled.

I was treated at the Oxford John Radcliffe Hospital. Never got cancelled.

However, my mother was fobbed off like you in a very poorly perforng Hospital Trust and eventually ended up in A&E. The consultant surgeon who did the operation was livid when he found out how she had been treated. I would get on to your MP as well

Original poster
mummynumnum · 01/02/2011 21:11

I was going to write letter of complaint tonight but got distracted by ds and dd who were actually glad mummy was not in hospital. Bless them.

OP posts:
AimingForSerenity · 01/02/2011 21:16

I had mine out some years back but we have private health cover with DHs job so I didn't have cancellation issues.

Mine was keyhole surgery and was straightforward other than that the gallbladder was inflamed and wouldn't come out through the hole so the surgeon made a small incision to enlarge it.

When I saw my GP he informed me that as the discharge notes said "incision" on I should take 6 weeks off because of the risk of infection. Was ace because I HATED my job!

Only problem I have now is that I find I cannot handle anything acidic as I used to. I koved dry white wine and now can't manage more than the baby pink stuff!

BeenBeta · 01/02/2011 21:26

"Only problem I have now is that I find I cannot handle anything acidic as I used to. I koved dry white wine and now can't manage more than the baby pink stuff!"

For some reason its red wine that does me in.

girliefriend · 01/02/2011 21:31

All wine is now off the menu for me Sad I thought is was turning 30 that did it but thinking about it maybe it is gall bladder related!!!