Gallbladder removal

[jenn88]

Following being rushed to hospital, two attempts at stone removal via ERCP i am now due to have my gallbladder removed in the next few weeks, got my pre op next week!
Anyone who's had the same procedure tell me what I need to know, how painful is it post op, how long will I really take to recover etc....

Very variable post op. Friends who were lucky report bouncing out of bed within days feeling loads better. Most websites say you'll be back to normal within a week. So my experience is not typical, but I offer it up as a "this may be the worst case scenario" example. 99% chance yours will be much easier than this, so do not read this and panic.

I found it really crap - reacted badly to the anaesthetic (I always do, mind you, so nothing to do with the gallbladder itself), so had a night in hospital, felt really shit , ended up having to get signed off work for an extra 2 weeks after the initial 2 weeks recommended for keyhole surgery. But I think mine was in quite a bad way, and had scarring and adhesions from a particularly bad infection a few months earlier (so bad they couldn't do it as emergency surgery and had to wait for all the inflamation to calm down before they could do it as elective surgery - and they were sufficiently worried about the state of it, they still went ahead with surgery despite impending lockdown, apparently I was considered urgent. I think mine was pretty much the last elective operation carried out in my hospital trust back in March).

My top tip for pain relief would be diclofenac suppositories. They act really quickly, don't upset your stomach (obviously), can still be taken even if you feel sick or are vomiting.

Just take it easy and make sure you rest loads.

Just bumping this for you in the hope that people who've had more straightforward ops can tell you their experiences. For most people it's a v straightforward op and you're back to normal within a week.

Thanks @CaraDuneRedux
All experiences good and bad are welcome!! I'm a need to know it all kind of person! Made the mistake of having a google of what the procedure is like! Images were pretty grim!!
Sorry you had such a difficult time with yours!! It's really a horrible thing to go through! The initial experience was like having a heart attack (or what I would image it would be like!!)
I'm also on the urgent list hence my op still going ahead during the pandemic!
Fingers crossed for a straight forward op and recovery as we also have a just turned one year old!!!!

Offering a hand hold btw - I remember just how terrifying it was to have to go into hospital for an op in the knowledge that covid cases were running out of control. If it helps, they are incredibly careful with "red zone" versus rest. I struggled a lot with not being able to sleep because my anxiety levels were through the roof - what I found helped was audiobooks I'd read countless times before which counted as "comfort reading" - my attention could drift, or I could fall asleep and it didn't matter, but it was there rumbling on in the background as a distraction when I needed it.

Good luck! As I say, most people find it's fine (even if it has to be open surgery - I don't know what the current protocols are over aerosol generating procedures - a friend of mine in his 60s said even that was fine and he bounced back really quickly).

Hi. I had mine out laparoscopically 20+ years ago and it was fine. I remember no significant pain. The next day I was walking, and a week later I was back at work (which doesn't mean that you might not need longer).

Honestly, I'd had such a nightmare with my gallstones that having my GB removed was one of the best days of my life! I'm sure it will be similar for you, and please don't worry.