Cholecystectomy post op complications?
Posted , 7 users are following.
I had my gall bladder removed on the 30/5/2017 after having acute pancreatitis. When they did an ultrasound they didn't find any gall stones but still told me to have the surgery as I'd likely get pancreatitis again if I didn't. So I trusted them and agreed to have it removed. Since then I have regretted that decision so much and wish I had waited.
Firstly when I woke up in recovery I was in extreme pain. It felt like they forgot to give me pain meds. I've had surgery before and never felt so much pain I wasn't even drowsy because I was just in that much pain. Anyway they eventually got that under control and gave me a PCA.
Since being discharged I have felt tired and weak, all I do is sleep and watch tv which is making me depressed. The pain from the surgery is gone however I now have pain in my upper back that I never had before and generalised abdominal pain. It doesn't matter what I eat either. I have days where I'll have diarrhoea and then I'll be constipated for days. I have also lost 6kgs since being discharged which is fine but seems like a lot to me.
I also have a wound infection that I've been on antibiotics for just over a week. At first the wound was seeping pus but seems to have slowed although now my skin is really hard around the incision but not where the actual incision is if that makes sense.
I have seen doctors multiple times and they keep telling me I'm fine and the infection is no big deal and my wound will heal. It's like they think everything else is in my head. It's so frustrating as I was told it was a simple procedure.
So just looking to see if anyone else has gone through similar and did it get better? Thanks in advance for your replies.
0 likes, 6 replies
joanna17875 ashleigh_42050
Posted
Oh Ashleigh, I do feel for you, now I worry for myself!!! I am due to have my GB removed, like you no gallstones, but also like you I cannot process proteins/fats and end up in a bad way. I can't offer you any help with you questions but will be keen to hear what other people say. I hope (and am sure) you will keep recovering, in the meantime let nature do her stuff!! Best regards.
matt57085 ashleigh_42050
Posted
I can't help as i'm trying to find the cause of my pain at the mo. I just wanted to wish you a speedy recovery.
One thing i would say is why on earth would they remove your gallbladder without knowing for sure your gallbladder was the cause? I've read pancreatitis is not always caused by gallbladder problems.
All the best
gerryc ashleigh_42050
Posted
lynda20916 ashleigh_42050
Posted
Hi, Ashleigh,
It is early days for you. Your body is still trying to heal after surgery. It's major surgery. Your external incisions should heal in 4-6 weeks, but internally, can take longer, up to 6 months. Some people take longer to recover from surgery than others.
Also, your body needs a time period to adjust to the fact that you don't have a gallbladder any more. Eat small, low fat meals frequently. Look up the fodmap diet on line. That can help. Drink plenty of water, and start using probiotics to repopulate your gut. The antibiotics are killing the bacteria you need to digest food properly.
Best of luck to you, and let me know how you get on!
ashleigh_42050
Posted
Thanks everyone for your replies so far! I will try everything that has been suggested 🙂
I just wish the doctors had been more informative before my surgery as I was told it was minor surgery being key hole and I'd be back to normal within a week or two.
Beenthruit ashleigh_42050
Posted
Dear Ashleigh,
Sorry to hear you're having problems. Did you have open surgery? Either way the anaesthetic can make you feel low for some time after surgery. I felt a bit down when I got home. I couldn't really go out anywhere as I still had a drain in situ, it was March and daytime TV is abysmal, but all I wanted to do was catch up on all the sleep I'd lost over the time I was ill.
I had open surgery. I had mine at beginning of February followed by a liver resection at beginning of March as they found a growth. The surgeon used the same incision for both ops.
I felt extremely tired after both surgeries. Even now, three months on, I find myself nodding off during the day. This is probably the worst post op issue I have. Remember that even though the incision seems to be healing, it takes longer for internal wounds to heal. I had a wound infection too, but two lots of antibiotics sorted that out. The infection and high temperature makes you feel low too. Additionally, I have some right sided tenderness and I find if I over exert myself I get bad right sided shoulder pain.
The hard area round your incision is probably scar tissue. I have it too and also have some RUQ numbness, which I'm told will reduce but may never go completely. These symptoms are better than the pain I was in, sometimes for four days at a time. I couldn't sleep or eat for the pain.
Otherwise I'm fine. I can eat more or less what I like. I don't seem to be able to eat big meals anymore as I quickly feel full. They had to reconstruct my bile duct and I was told it'd take a while to heal. I'm careful not to eat too much fat at one meal and I've gradually increased the amount of fibre I eat as this helps soak up excess bile which is often the cause of diarrhoea. Maybe try that? But do it gradually.
I'd be more concerned about your weight loss. 6kg is a lot to lose in so short a time. Are you eating well? I had problems with loss of appetite. I'd order food, but when it came I could only manage a couple of mouthfuls before I felt full. I didn't lose that much weight post-op. Since September 2016 I've lost over three stones. This is mainly down to eating a very low fat diet to try to control the pain. I've also been nil by mouth for quite a bit over the last few months. You have to try and eat.
Try to stay positive. I'm sure you'll soon be on the mend but mention the weight loss to your GP.