Gallbladder removal horror stories

Posted , 7 users are following.

I have gallstones and pain, but, reading all the stories about ongoing post-op.problems, I'm beginning to wonder, is it worth going through the trauma? I suffer from severe depression and anxiety, and last time I had an operation (hip replacement) I got so ill I ended up having a nervous breakdown, so I'm genuinely really worried about this. Can anyone advise?

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    Don't no wat to say to u everybody is different I had my gallbladder removed and I am now in regret cause im suffering still 1 year later hope this ends soon im off over it .

    • Posted

      Then I got some relatives of mine who had surgery and did not have a problem .
  • Posted

    I must admit I'm exactly the same as you. I'm on the list for the op but don't fancy suffering after it. At the moment i am thinking of not having it as i"m not in pain as long as I watch what i eat. To be honest i think it's down to luck. But then as the waiting list is so long there's plenty of time to decide. I do know plenty of people who are fine after it. Good luck whatever you decide. Jill

  • Posted

    I was diagnosed with cholecystitis, since ultrasound didnt detect any sluggish problem and stones they sent me for HIDA n ejection rate was 30%. follow-up i did endoscopy ( i insisted to do it becuz i was generally worried) turns out it was nothing.

    Anyway doctor didn’t recommend me any surgery, im just following complete healthy diet and didnt experience any kinda pain.

    My friend had his removed at age of 21, eject rate was 14%. he has been fine MOSTLY, although i am aware he takes Bile salts regular but other than that till this very day i have not heard any complaints from him.

    I believe people react differently, my aunt had hers removed after she gave birth due to stones but she says there is still some discomfort where gallbladder was after many years. she got used to it, other than this she is pretty good, even when she eats something like pizza.

    So i believe it really depends on people. Its always good to discuss with surgeon regarding this.

  • Posted

    Maybe something you should discuss with your doctor before the surgery about mental status. I am 4 months post surgery and I feel great. Yes my body is different without my gallbladder, but not majorly. I don't have pain anymore, but minor discomfort that I can live with. Everyday after my surgery my body felt better and still this is only 4 months later. Last month i did so many strenuous activities I felt like I never had a surgery, but everyone recovery is different. I did not have gallstones but my gallbladder had abnormalities which was not normal. Ask your dr about the longer term risk of not having it removed. In my research chronic pain and more damage can be done to your gallbladder. My friend was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer so her gallbladder is too damaged to be removed. Hope this helps with your decision. However I feel great and my body feels back to normal, so my story is a successful operation. Good luck!

  • Posted

    I had my gallbladder out on August 4th, so just a couple days over a month ago now, and I feel great.  I had no diarreah.  I can eat whatever I want.  It took me 3 weeks to get my energy level back to a normal level but we just came back from a 12 day road trip that included 3 days in Disneyland, Vegas etc. and I walked through all the parks, ate ice cream and fast food and had no issues other than being a bit tired.  Not sure if that was still ligering post op effects or normal tires from all the walking and heat.  Every single person is different.  I have no pain anymore, can eat anything I want, have hardly any scars and I am very thankful I had the surgery.  I had a bag of stones and was having attacks. Stones don't go away so once you have them you are always at risk for an attack.  That caused me a lot of anxiety.  I couldn't live like that, not knowing if an attack was going to happen at work or at a party, the theatre, etc.  So for me, getting it out was a no-brainer.  I had read on here the problems people have and I spoke to loads of people in person most who didn't have any issues.  The thing about this forum is that most people on here are having issues and are looking for solutions.  The millions of people that have had it removed with no issues are not on here because they have no reason to be.  So really you are only hearing the one side of it.  From what I know- most people have little to know issues.  Of those that do have issues, the majority clear up within a year.  A very small percentage may have lingering issues longer than a year.  I did find I was more sore than I thought I would be after surgery for the first 24 hours.  I went back to work after a week but I should have waited 10 days.  I still didn't have my energy level back until 3 weeks.  Talk to people face to face that have had it removed.  Just ask people you know.  You'll be surprised how many have.

    • Posted

      I agree. Wonderful recovery story. I feel like myself too. Removing mine was a great decision. Surgery takes time to heal. As my doctor said you may have a little discomfort sometimes. I don't get diarrhea except if I eat some really spicy food, but I do experience constipation and I just need to regulate my diet for that. We all are different in regards to healing, so give yourself some time to heal and know that you will get better soon.

  • Posted

    Thank you all for your stories and reassurance. It is wonderful to be able to talk through these issues in the forum.

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