Gallbladder Removal - tell me your recent experiences!

[WhatAKerfuffley]

Hello

New to MN! After suffering for almost a year with horrendous gallbladder attacks, that are getting more frequent, longer and even more painful, I’m scheduled in to have it removed 6th Jan. THANK THE LORD! Unfortunately, I wasn’t taken seriously until I spent 8 days in hospital with ongoing attacks and a stone stuck in bile duct!

To those who have had their gallbladder removed, just wondering what your experience was like before, during and after. Particularly after the op - I have a 7 month old DD who I’ll need to care for almost straight after the op, as we can’t afford for DP to have too many days off work (he’s already had a fair few off due to my horrendous bloody attacks!)

Thank you!

Keyhole surgery sounds like a piece of p**s compared to gallstone attacks then haha. I'm actually looking forward to it!!

When I've been to hospital, it has been because I've not been able to manage the pain at home - it's happened on four occasions so far, one time was an ambulance call before I knew what the problem was. That time, I was crawling along the landing in the middle of the night, vomiting, hyperventilating because I was in SO much pain. Thought I was dying! Poor Dp rang 999 thinking I was having a heart attack. Seriously... worse than labour (and that was pretty fresh in my mind at the time, too!) Hospital discharged me with a diagnosis of "oesophageal spasms" 🧐🧐 didn't bother doing an ultrasound or anything though so easily went through my GP for the scan etc.
So yeah @SpeckledyHen, once I knew what the problem was, the hospital have given me really strong pain meds and antibiotics too every time.

@asmuchuseas good luck with your problem! I've not heard of that before. Hopefully you get sorted if it's causing you issues. Hasn't your GP mentioned removal or anything yet?

I was off of work for three days. Felt fine.

@WhatAKerfuffley sorry to hear about your cancelled op 😓 I wouldn’t wish that gallbladder attack pain on anyone 😓 I had mine removed 6 years ago after 18 months of having 1-2 attacks EVERY week 😓 crawling along the floor, throwing up, passing out in the bath room floor (😅). Doctors to even scan me to check for gallstones as apparently you have to be “fair, fat, fertile and over forty” to get them. I was only 23 so couldn’t be gallstones 🙄 had to work 10 hour shifts 5-6 days a week on my feet in retail during the attacks and I was SO ill! 😓😓 they gave me Buscopan and told me it was just cramps 🙄

Surgery was amazing!! Was back at work on day 8 - should have been off 2 weeks but had a horrific employer at the time. Hopefully you’ll get a new date soon 🤞🏼 Here’s what I found:
All going to plan it’ll be 4 incisions -one is right where the band of your bra sits between your boobs so take a sports bra or something comfy to wear home.
Stomach will feel very bruised for a couple of days.
Worst part is pain in your shoulders from the gas they use to inflate your abdomen.
I still get pain from time to time but nothing like the pain I had before! When they remove it they leave a tiny stump and mine still seems to get inflamed every now and then causing the pain. Lucky me! Haha.

I had my first baby 8 weeks ago - 39 hour induction due to big baby, completely immobile due to separated pelvis so flat on my back 😅 only gas and air for pain relief 😅🤣 and I agree...some the gallbladder attacks were worse 😓😓

Hello,
I had mine out back in 2012 through the NHS at a private hospital (not sure how I managed that) I had a 3 month old baby at the time and no pain attacks prior to my c-section. After though I had 2 bad attacks and my GP was quick to diagnose. I was in out for day surgery and my partner was able to wait in our private room with our baby.
All went well, I can't remember any pain in the days after as it was keyhole so 3 small incisions and very good pain killers. I was still able to hold my baby and pretty much back to normal within a week. So considering I'd had 2 major surgeries within 3 months not bad.
I wish you well and hope you have support in order to get the rest you need, whilst getting lots of cuddles from your little one.
Good luck

Sat in hospital... to be told that my ERCP has been cancelled. Again.

Honestly... I despair

That's rubbish OP. I'm waiting for mine to be ripped out, the sooner the better. Christmas has been a nightmare...eating and then having yet, another attack. Definitely worse than labour.
My attacks are more frequent and I'm limited to what I can eat now and life is pretty miserable-as you can imagine.

I pray they do it soon. I'll follow this thread with interest. X

Op i contacted a private hospital today about the gallbladder op that I am waiting for with the nhs.

I was advised that currently the private hospital is doing 75% nhs ops and 25% private so there will be a longer wait then normal.

It is a lot of money to pay but I can’t carry on with the pain it causes me for long term.

Hope you get out of hospital soon.

@Cherry889

Op i contacted a private hospital today about the gallbladder op that I am waiting for with the nhs.

I was advised that currently the private hospital is doing 75% nhs ops and 25% private so there will be a longer wait then normal.

It is a lot of money to pay but I can’t carry on with the pain it causes me for long term.

Hope you get out of hospital soon.

How much was it please out of interest?

I had mine out 2 years ago. I had surgery via keyhole just before 12 lunchtime then was awake and drinking tea by 2pm and home by 5. I spent the next day mainly in bed as I was exhausted but didn't need any painkillers. 2 days later I went shopping

Waking up from the surgery was the best if felt for over 12 months whilst I suffered with gallstones. I felt instantly better after the surgery
Pain was very minimal although I do have a high pain tolerance

@asmuchuseas I have had two quotes. One was £4900 the other was £6,800 but the higher one will price match the lower amount.

My concern would be that the cost would escalate in the event of complications 🤔
But I presume these eventualities would be discussed before going ahead with the procedure?

I have checked this and this is what the email states.

You have the reassurance of knowing that your treatment package is fully inclusive of all of these benefits (and much more):

•
All consultant and anaesthetist fees (for the duration of your stay)
•
All hospital services (eg room, nursing services, operating theatre charges)
•
Drugs and other materials (as clinically recommended by your chosen consultant)
•
All outpatient treatment that’s clinically required after you leave the hospital
•
Any re-admission to a Nuffield Health facility for medical complications arising from the original procedure

if I could be confident that I wouldn't end up having to pay a lot more if there were complications I think I would go private ....I know it's a lot of money but weigh that against possible damage/stress to your internal organs from repeated infections and bouts of inflammation🤔

Thanks yoho I am coming to that way of thinking and have an appointment tomorrow evening with a consultant to discuss.

I was worried about the costs increasing if any complications etc but from the email it does seem to confirm there won’t be extra payments but I will double check before I make any bookings for the op.

Yeah, I was quoted just short of £5k. Really expensive and not really something we can just pull out of our arsed at the moment, but have spent far more on things a lot less important.

My ERCP is supposed to be tomorrow. It's been a week and a half since I had an MRI which confirmed - in the words of the consultant - "a lot of jammed stones" in the bile duct. I don't have nearly half as much pain now, so have suggested to him that maybe I don't have the stones there anymore. He doesn't seem to think they would just unstick so we'll see. No doubt with current soaring covid numbers, it will be delayed again.

My consultant promised to put me on the hot list for removal once this procedure is done. 2 weeks to wait apparently. I'm not hopeful. Hope everyone else gets sorted!!

@Cherry889 keep us updated please! I'm having mine removed this month, NHS or private!

Hope your ERCP goes ok tomorrow.

I’ll let you know how I get on tomorrow with appointment. It is a lot of money to spend but if we had gone on holiday last year I would have spent more then that amount so dh and I are thinking this is worth spending the money on. I’m having problems daily because as well as having the gallstone attacks the buscopan I am taking to try to stop these seems to be messing with my digestive system and causing me problems with my bowels but if I don’t take the buscopan I get the agonising gallstone pain so it’s a lose lose situation really.

Thankyou for that. I may look into private care depending on the outcome of my appointment next week.

Good luck for tomorrow

This is a strange one. A little bit TMI as well I'm afraid. Does anyone else get bad diarrhoea just before having a severe gallstone attack? Doesn't happen to me every time, but certainly before a bad attack.

I've heard of diarrhoea after gallbladder removal, but I haven't read about this symptom indicating an attack is imminent...

I can't say I do OP but my attacks are very mild and infrequent (I joined this thread very much preemptively👀)
I do have long-standing gut issues and I'm starting to wonder if this could be something related to the gallbladder 🤔
It stands to reason that distress in one part of your gastrointestinal system could affect other parts...I'm inclined to think?

Op I have experienced diarrhoea twice now recently after eating food higher in fat then I would normally eat.

I have the diarrhoea around 30 minutes after eating and then I have the pain in my gallbladder and in the centre of my back between my shoulder blades. The pain isn’t as bad as some of the attacks I’ve had but is there for the day of the diarrhoea and maybe the next day then settles down.

Yes, it's the same for me! I've never had trouble with my digestive system before the gallbladder issues. My GP seems to think there is something else up with me (🙄) so has referred me for a colonoscopy but I just think the two have to be related. I'm not the expert, obviously. Just seems weird. Every time I eat something high in fat or something that seems to trigger the attacks (hasn't always been high in fat, to be honest) I get terrible diarrhoea.

Anyway, I'm back in AGAIN waiting for the ERCP. The doctor has been and is determined to remove my gallbladder eventually. When, I don't know. Fingers crossed it's soon as I'm struggling to cope at home.

Gallbladder has certainly been the cause of my digestive issues according to my consultant. Currently sat in hospital waiting to walk down the theatre. Been cancelled twice already...I'm so close now 🤞

Omg I'm so happy for you haha! Hope it goes smoothly! Good luck!