Gallbladder removal via private

[Caerulea]

Finally had an appointment today for my arsehole gallbladder (full of gravel) at Ramsay health - the only private provider in Cornwall. Been referred via NHS after the GP surgery screwed up my referral 3 TIMES since June. The NHS asked them repeatedly for blood tests & ultrasound results & they did nothing about it till November. By which time the NHS (in September!) had rejected the referral 🤦🏼‍♀️.

I had a phone call & private appointment scheduled the very next day after the GP surgery rang me to say I needed tests...that had already been done & I realised what had happened.

So anyway, now that shitshow is sorted, consultant today said the wait for the surgery with them is 6 to 8 months (it's nearer 3 years on the NHS in Cornwall) & I do need it out.

I honestly thought it would be sooner? Is that because there are no other options down here?

Diagnosed mid December, private appointment booked in for end of Jan. I'm in SW. If I didn't have private healthcare, I'd have found the money to pay. The pain was unbearable.

If it's helpful, there are loads of qualified private clinics that will do this for you privately much quicker, e.g. clinics that would typically do lipo/weight loss surgery will remove your gallbladder for around £4.5k.

I thought it was about 10k for a gallbladder removal?

Dd is paying £5k for hers.

I saw the invoice for mine and it was around the 6.5k mark

Wow, mine was £500 on top of weightloss surgery.

I went to go private earlier this year and the consultant did all the tests and then asked me to go on NHS list (with him still) as it looked like high complication rate and he wanted to do it at larger hospital with more equipment.

I ended up waiting about 3 months and it was not straight forward.

Day op with keyhole ended up being under anaesthetic for over 4 hours, fully opened up, gall bladder removed and numerous stones in bile duct removed included one that did not want to move and then had to cut into my bile duct to get out.
Ended up staying 6 nights and went through different painkillers trying to find something that worked. Drain from open wound continually leaked which was gross and also had to have stomach tube put in to remove what seemed like litres and litres of dark green/black bile in my stomach.

Experience was horrid and ended up off work for over a month instead of 2 weeks. Scar is huge and even that was a mess as most of it opened up when stables came out. Had nurses visiting to change dressings and had a vacuum machine on the wound for nearly 2 weeks.

Its now 3 months later and although the scar is still itchy and muscles still healing, I can at least eat anything without the fear of pain. Bowel movements are alot faster after eating though so I have to be careful.

Thanks everyone - no chance of me paying myself, DH just got made redundant. I don't mind waiting now I have a timeline.

That said! I'm in very odd pain today & not sure if I should ring 111 or something. Anyone know if having a virus can trigger the gb? My kids have given me something & I've a temp (don't think I've had one before, I don't tend to get sick), so it's a proper virus, but the pain hasn't actually let up for about 12hrs now. Not a full on attack (yanno, the panic inducing kind) but constant solid pain, stopped me sleeping. Not had this before & not sure what to do about it

@ihateexcel

Goodness me!! I'm glad you're all passed it now but that whole episode just sounds exhausting, you were super unlucky - I've read that having a drain is agony, I'd kinda like to avoid that tbh.

I think the prices have dropped a lot since I first looked it up, earlier this year it was nearer 9k for Duchy I'm sure. I wonder if it fluctuates depending on the NHS waiting time. The longer it is the more they can charge? Not that I'm cynical...

I would keep calling periodically for an update on the timescale and make it clear you are flexible, desperate and open to slot into any cancellations etc, and 🤞🤞you get an earlier slot.

@Chewbecca I am indeed both flexible & desperate lol. I'll ring in the new year with the first gentle begging

Blimey
I went private in South Wales about 12 years ago. Think it was about 3 weeks after my consult. That was with Bupa.
That was along time ago and the country is a different place now

If you have a very bad attack you should go to A&E. I did, was admitted and had it removed. I did have gallstone pancreatitis though.

Make sure you are staying away from fatty foods as that will cause a flare up

It's strange, this is more like it's just pissed off rather than having a full-on tantrum. I'll keep an eye on yellowing etc & no left-side pain atm.

Sounds pretty much what my dd has been experiencing for the last 3 months. She's only had 2 full on attacks thankfully but has had pain daily.
I would keep an eye on your temperature and look out for other symptoms in case it's infected.

Depends where you are. Private lists have soared. 6 my nths for dermatology in some areas of Scotland

Yes, my friend waited 2 weeks here for private gallbladder removal (S Lancs). DH waited 3 months on NHS 5 years ago but his was badly infected and more of an emergency. Apparently it's a year wait here now for NHS.

That's a shocking waiting list, especially for private. Maybe consider travelling further for a different private location?

I managed to get mine out within 10 months of first symptoms( pregnant at the time complicated diagnosis) 3months from gp finally agreeing it could be gallstones

it was messing with my liver and they were shocked that I wasn't yellow with jaundice

That's the bugger with the temp thing, it would have to be a crazy coincidence that my temp was related to my gb & not the fact my two resident sons have been feverish. Pretty sure a gb doesn't make you cough & sneeze either 🤷🏼‍♀️.
But 3 months of constant niggle like this? Absolutely not, I'd rather the 5 hour attacks.

Also, my brain corrects your name to the thing it actually is lol

Also, my brain corrects your name to the thing it actually is lol
🤣🤣

The NHS will have bought so many ops from the private provider, hence the wait.

In all likelihood it will be the same consultant doing the surgery as you would see in the NHS, as they mostly work part time for the NHS

@DPotter the private hospital is right next door to the NHS one lol, he'll literally just need to walk across the road

They do their NHS work at Duchy too. My dm went there under NHS for a hand op.