Gallbladder removal - how long did you wait?

[WhatASwizzz]

Finally had it confirmed with an ultrasound so am now in the system for removal. I'm very lucky that I'm just about controlling it by diet and all flare ups, while awful, have been just about bearable. How long am I looking at for NHS? Is it different depending on area? I'm in the South West.

I've been waiting since last August. To be honest though I had about three months where I was getting the most horrendous attacks twice weekly no matter what I did. Luckily though, I've managed to avoid any bad attacks since January. And I haven't really done anything. I eat crap sometimes still and I haven't lost a great deal of weight but it just seems to have fizzled out. I still get the odd nausea, sicky feeling after eating and I get a twinge in my right side and it feels tender but nothing like a full blown attack. I'm in south Yorks and still waiting. To be honest I may just not bother now seeing as it's calmed down so much.

I waited 8 months, but that was long before Covid. Waiting times might be worse now.

I’m not part of the NHS but had to wait 5 months because I was pregnant. Got that sucker out when my baby was 19 days old, and don’t think I could have waited another minute!

13 months. This was years ago and I was classed as obese so I had plenty to loose whilst I waited but it was horrible having to eat a very very low fat diet not knowing when it might flare up.

Pre covid I waited 8 weeks was bumped up the list as had 3 admissions in that time and they were concerned. So if it does get worse while your waiting see someone so its documented and can be seen to more quickly if there are issues.

3 months.

I was admitted via A&E with an infection and blacked bile duct. I was put on the urgent list for removal.

If you have a bad attack an A&E visit may help bump you up the surgery list.

Or on the other hand, you could see somebody in A&E who accuses you of drug seeking, which is what happened to me some 20+ years ago before I was diagnosed 🙄 I was in too much pain to pick up on what he was implying, but my mother, a qualified nurse, got the picture.

6 months then 2 weeks in hospital (after attending A&E) NBM before they finally took it out!

Pre-Covid, I was admitted to A&E with pains and spent a few days in for them to diagnose the issue.
When diagnosed as gallbladder I had the operation about 2-months later, no more attacks in that time as I was managing my diet.

I recently waited about 10 months, no sign on a date to get it out. Got it out when I ended up in A+E in a lot of pain. When you have an attack don't be shy about going in. I suspect you only get it out these days when it causes significant problems.

I think I was kind of lucky in that I presented to A&E projectile vomiting, in agony and with a raging temperature so was admitted.

That's when I was diagnosed with gallstones, I didn't know I had them before.

When IV antibiotics didn't help with the fever after 3 days they took me for emergency surgery. Gallbladder was basically rotting inside me by that point so they had to do a full wash out and put in a drain so I had another 2 days in hospital with more antibiotics till the drain could be removed.