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Gallbladder removal, are the benefits worth the possible risks?

Posted , 15 users are following.

charlotte82605
charlotte82605

Hi everyone,

After 8 excruciating gallbladder attacks in the last 5 months, I've finally had an ultrasound to confirm gallstones and I've been referred for surgery, however I'm not sure if I want to go through with it.

I understand there can be problems with ongoing diarrhoea afterwards, something which I already have to deal with thanks to IBS & anxiety so I don't want to exacerbate that.

I also understand that you can still have issues eating fatty food and you have to stick to a low fat diet afterwards - is this true? What happens if you eat something fatty after gallbladder removal?

Finally I know that around 10% of people develop postcholecystectomy syndrome which causes pain (similar to that of biliary colic) and vomiting. This is not something I want to risk.

So I'm torn between leaving my gallbladder in and just eating low fat forever, but constantly live in fear of eating anything fatty and having another attack, or having the surgery and possibly ending up in a worse off situation by not being able to eat normally anyway, still have pain, and have digestive issues.

In the short term, I'm managing OK with a low fat diet and I'm losing weight (which is good because I'm overweight anyway) but I don't want to live like this in the long term.

I guess I'm just asking for opinions or advice.

0 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

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  • mary48081
    mary48081 charlotte82605

    Posted

    Hi Charlotte,

    Welcome to a club you never wanted to join. 😕

    Your concerns very succinctly mirror my own and because I am currently in the same boat, I don’t have any advice to offer… Just sympathy. I am currently waiting for the surgeon to respond to my GP's request for a HIDA test to see if in fact I really do need a cholysystectomy. I will read responses to your post here with interest

    Best of luck,

    Mary

    • Stevie1111
      Stevie1111 charlotte82605

      Posted

      HIDA scan is best thing to check GB really, they inject a radioactive material in you and see how your liver GB do with it takes about 2 hours normally.

      Safe though, and more than just how it's working, sometimes it might go different parts of your body showing it's leaking, sometimes slow which means there is a blockage a few things really !

  • Stevie1111
    Stevie1111 charlotte82605

    Posted

    I am having some different problems more related to the sphincter

    But from what I can tell if you get some attacks now they will stay there forever and will likely one day get worse

    Surgery takes a lot out of people but most people I know live fine after it and probably the better choice

    Always talk to your Doctor about this they will have seen these cases a lot, you seem to have anxiety issues already but bad GBs are not fun !

    • johnette_68826
      johnette_68826 Stevie1111

      Posted

      Stevie, I am like you. There may now be an issue with Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction for me that started after gallbladder removal. How often is your pain and what are your symptoms?

    • Stevie1111
      Stevie1111 johnette_68826

      Posted

      Charlotte always best to weigh them up, but they generally seem to get worse than better and I know some people have bad experience after they get it removed, but they'd have that if they hadn't as well with a lot of the things and a lot of their doctors dont seem to know what Sphincter of Oddi is !

      Johnette !

      Being a male and (fairly....) young they actually havent taken mine out so I'm super lucky having the symptoms of this SOD, mine was normal pain after fatty meal and alcohol normally next day with pain in the back and right shoulder.

      But got worse and worse and fairly constant this point, nausea is very common where one minute you just want to vomit

      Excercise brings mine on....best thing so far for it actually is valium, tried pregablin which was OK and Tramadol just made me want to be sick !

      DO NOT have coedine though it makes it so much worse

  • Scottie13
    Scottie13 charlotte82605

    Posted

    Sometimes what people think is ibs is actually issues with the gallbladder. Personally if the gallbladder is playing up and causing problems i'd get it out xx

    • charlotte82605
      charlotte82605 Scottie13

      Posted

      Yes I've considered that maybe its not ibs after all and could be complications from the gallstones x

  • carla08687
    carla08687 charlotte82605

    Posted

    Hi,

    I can only speak for myself because everyone is different. I had my GB out almost 6months ago. If I had a chance to change things I would have tried to do some research and never had it done. The surgery itself was fine. It's the horrible stomach and chest pain issues that I continue to have from anything that has fat in it. No matter how much fat. I've lost more weight than i needed too. My GI drs. don't seem to want to help all that much. I know many people who have no problems whatsoever. Like I said, everyone is different. I'm not a Dr. So I'm just giving you my symptons. But I was having problems like you and had an ultrasound and had gallstones too. So I pretty much had to have it out. I could have waited but couldn't deal with the pain. This has been a very depressing time for me. Once again my opinion. Talk with your Dr. But don't let it get so bad that you end up having emergency surgery. For those of you out there that are having problems gaining weight because of not eating. I found a nutrional drink that is very high in calories and low in fat. It's been great.

    Hope you find what you need!!

    • charlotte82605
      charlotte82605 carla08687

      Posted

      Hi Carla, sorry to hear you're having issues after the surgery. Thanks for sharing your experience.

  • Fit_bee
    Fit_bee charlotte82605

    Posted

    Hi there!

    After 4 years of having gallstones the attacks became more frequent and the pain was unbearable last year. I had 2 visits to A&E and the 2nd visit was admitted for emergency surgery. Obvious pain after surgery, painful abdomen but after about 6 weeks felt a lot better. 4 months later I can eat anything and everything. No problems at all. I know some people have encountered problems, but you don't always hear on this site the success stories. Wishing you good health with whatever decision you make.

  • Dcweather
    Dcweather charlotte82605

    Posted

    Hi Charlotte, I like many others was in exactly that situation two years ago. I developed a terrible stomach pain that I thought was a heart attack and that put me in A&E. It got better and they didn't diagnose it but said should have Ultrasound. They found some small gall stones and I had to decide. As I had no re-occurrence for a couple of months I was tending towards leaving it. Then I got more and more transient agonising pains ending in a crippling one that caused me to go back in hospital and miss a holiday of a lifetime. They finally realised that a gallstone had blocked my bile duct. I was on morphine and the pain from hell. Couldn't eat and barely drink water and badly jaundiced. After a week I got the endoscopy treatment to push the stone through which was instant relief after 9 days in hospital. I then had no more pain for weeks whilst awaiting the gall bladder op. But they told me there was always a risk of it happening again and it could be more serious if the bile duct got infected or worse. So although fearful (I have a heart rhythm problem) of the anaesthetic I went for it. They also removed the bile duct (common, as precaution and another thing that can't get cancer now!)

    Best thing I ever did. Four little holes and just a bit tender after. Once recovered and for the last year I have had zero pain and discomfort. I can eat absolutely anything including rich cheeses and full English breakfasts and drink red wine and beer. In fact I would say it is the best my stomach has ever been and I am 68!

    Now I know I am lucky and not everyone is but this is the more common outcome. I have spoken to three other people since (as you do) and none of them have had any problems.

    Forum's like this do attract worriers like me and people who have had problems so the concerns are disproportionate.

    That is my story but it has the proviso that all people are different and all ops have a risk, but the odds are that it will be like mine.

    Good luck,

    Dave,

    x

    • charlotte82605
      charlotte82605 Dcweather

      Posted

      Thanks Dave! That's really reassuring to hear and I'm glad you can enjoy food and alcohol again 😃

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