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Pain after Gallbladder surgery

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7Puppies
7Puppies

I'm new to the group. I had my gallbladder removed 4 weeks ago by robotics. Recovery went well. I am very active and am waiting to continue back at the gym. Within the last 2 or 3 days I began getting a pain to the left of my belly button (which is where my incision is). It is almost constant with more pain with lifting, even light, and more pain with sneezing or coughing. Any ideas??

1 like, 56 replies

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  • janet74211
    janet74211 7Puppies

    Posted

    It maybe your body is adjusting after the op. It will take awhile to settle. It's like having a cut on the finger it needs to heal. But if really worried see your doctor.
  • mvwaugh
    mvwaugh 7Puppies

    Posted

    Like you I had my gallbladder removed laprascopically 4 weeks ago.  Unlike you probably I am in my 70s.  However there may be some similarities.  I have been eager to hurry and get back to my normal self.  I have had a lot of unexplained pain after the first week when I thought and others did too that I was doing brilliantly.  After going full out to visit my grandchildren with my husband this weekend,,, they live over 68 miles away, I have spent  today in bed, exhausted and in pain in the area of my left abdomen not far from where the instruments to do the operation will have been inserted.  I find this depressing and I have allready got a further selection of tests in the pipe line including a endoscopy and a colonoscopy. This was because after a week doing well I had pains coming back similar to those I experienced before the operation which was necessitated by me having embedded gallstones in the bile duct and evidence of previous inflamation due to infection in the gallbladder itself.

    I do think that we probably expect our bodies to heal more quickly than is reasonable but at the same time I think that you do need to let the medics know if you don't think everything is going as well as you think it should be , particularly if you still have a lot of pain.

     

    • catherine_45644
      catherine_45644 mvwaugh

      Posted

      I had a Gallbladder operation on the 13th February 2017, I was 4 hours in theatre. I had it done Lapriscopally but they found my Gallbladder was attached to my bowel they had to put a dye in to see how far. They then said I had rocks in my bile duct, I woke up with 2 drains Iwas doing fine eating away wounds healing bowels and bladder working putting weight on then got a letter from surgeon saying when the looked through the tapes they saw an Abnormal connection with my bowel so to go for a colonoscopy, I am just terrified. I still have a pain when I breathe in, sneeze or yawn I keep thinking if I had anything up with me my wounds wouldn't have healed and I would be losing weight So sorry for going on just so terrified will let you know how I get on

    • catherine_45644
      catherine_45644 vas0131

      Posted

      Not too bad eating but sometimes having pains and sometimes can feel the stent they put in I never went for my colonoscopy
    • catherine_45644
      catherine_45644 vas0131

      Posted

      Not too bad still having pains in my stomach that's over a year ago since I got it done and don't see my surgeon to the 2nd May I still feel thecstent

    • jbar2016
      jbar2016 catherine_45644

      Posted

      Hey, Catherine. It is nice to hear that not all of these procedures are cut and dry. I had my surgury lapero, on may 22, 2017. I have been fighting problems since then, after about 6 months most of the pains went away and i began to feel pretty good, i did note that i get pain in the gallbladder area when i lift something with a good amount of weight, and it lasts a few days. Thurs i woke up in the middle of the night vomited bile and the gall bladder area has been in alot of pain since, i am calling the doc monday
    • catherine_45644
      catherine_45644 jbar2016

      Posted

      Hope everything is ok let me know how u get on It was 1yr on 13th Feb I got mine out and like you I still have pain like the gallbladder pain
  • lynn23278
    lynn23278 7Puppies

    Posted

    Hi you will find that although you feel well you are still healing inside and I would say that takes a couple of months to heal. I felt ok and went back to work after 3 weeks and I felt rather tender after a couple of weeks so I went back to the docs and found out that I had shingles in the area that I had been cut so just take things slowly and go back to the docs if you feel any pain
  • annissa75392
    annissa75392 7Puppies

    Posted

    I agree you may feel healed but internally you are not just yet.  Take a couple of months to heal. Even though the surgery is in/out, all bodies are different. It took me maye 6 months to heal but I thought it was due to me having psoriatric arthritis. My dad and my sister had the surgery as we know it is hereditary and on top of that apparently if you are a black woman in your 40's, according to my doctor, I was prone to gall bladder issues. Kick back and take it easy. My bellybutton was sensitive for months, I told myself that once that felt normal meaning me not even thinking about it as before, that would be my way of knowing I am healed.  Good luck.
    • gayatri37314
      gayatri37314 annissa75392

      Posted

      My belly button has not healed yet. It is producing some discharge already shown to the Surgeon who did my operation. He had drain out the pus but still it is not healing. My Gallbladder surgery Took place on 8 March. now I am in 1 month 4 days.

      Will you tell me when did your belly button heal. after how many months does you have any discharge even after 1 month

  • angela72602
    angela72602 7Puppies

    Edited

    Welcome 7puppies!! removed by robotics-WOW! I have seen sugeries done by a robot but it always worried me. I would be afraid something would go wrong with the robot! Anyway, I am glad yours was a success! You had an incision which takes at least 6 weeks to heal, right? You need to give yourself more time. I could not lift even with laser for 6 weeks. The GYM would be out for me for at least 8 weeks, but that is just me. You have to allow your body to react to the gb NOT being there and bile going to the liver. All that takes time. Try to relax If the pain does not subside then it is time to see the doctor again. He/she can better tell you what is going on. take care of that incision. You have layers of muscle and skin that has to heal there also. Keep us posted!
    • 7Puppies
      7Puppies angela72602

      Posted

      Your probably right! I am always in too much of a hurry, especially when it comes to myself. I was concerned that it could be scarring. I think I just need to slow down. Thanks for your help!

       

    • mary06776
      mary06776 7Puppies

      Posted

      This discussion has been so helpful to read. I had my gallbladder out 8 days ago via robotics and the nurse told me I could go back to work the next day if I worked from home at a desk, which I do. So I did work in my recliner. I was absolutely miserable!!! I had super high expectations of recovering very fast. I had talked to numerous friends and my father that had their gallbladders removed and they said recovery was easy. I have had a really rough week and feeling all the same pains I had before the surgery with an incision in my belly button on top of it. It is very sore and tender especially after I have been sitting for too long. The pressure on it while sitting is not as restful as one would think. I keep wondering did they cut something they shouldn't have? Did they leave something in there? Why am I so uncomfortable and still in pain? It has been reassuring reading all of these posts helping me understand I should not be back to normal and ready to get back in the gym! I plan to rest, heal and listen to my body! Thanks!

    • marybd
      marybd mary06776

      Edited

      I had mine removed October 5th, and I ran out of the pain meds (percocet) two days ago. I am without any, although I have been told to use ibuprofen if needed. I am in pain. I didn't realize that the percocet was doing all the heavy lifting with my recovery. Now I know it was. My eldest is a nurse, and she called me saying I should be fine, adding the element of guilt (Why am I still in pain? Am I just a 'goldbricker'? Am I a wussy?) to the pain. When will the pain end? A cough, laugh, sneeze, hiccough, sigh, these can hurt me terribly? I feel your pain! 

       

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