Has your gallbladder been removed? Is the result good? Y or N?

I have had my gall bladder removed, but it did not altogether put an end to problems with gallstones. I have had two quite severe episodes since, but at much longer intervals than before. I think that reducing the fat in my diet has helped.

I had my gallbladder removed 3 years ago,and have had a problem with too much bile in my guts. I can't eat whatever I like ,as the surgeon said,I have to be careful what I eat all the time. I have a regular supply of immodium and carry them about with me wherever I go.I don't regret getting it removed as the pain and sickness were awful,and you run the risk of it becoming infected and poisoning your whole body. I have been on lots of forums,and it seems to be a common side effect,as there is nowhere to store the bile when the gallbladder is removed. A lot of people were recommending a drug called Questrain,which apparantly mops up the excess bile. It also has the added effect of lowering cholesterol,and as mine is a bit high I asked my Gp if he would prescribe it.However,he had never heard of it, and had to look it up,but refused to prescribe,insisting on giving me statins for the cholesterol instead.If anyone else uses Questrain,I would be interested to hear from them

I'm very happy to find info. on this as I have been advised to have mine out. On a scan 18 mo. ago it showed a large stone. After an endoscopy found excessive stomach acid, I had another MRI scan some 12 mo. ago. This showed thickening of the gallbladder walls and was told that was the problem, not the stone. I got pain in my stomach, bad nausia, etc. etc. Which could have been either acid stomach or gallbladder. My stomach has healed with a no acid diet now. I've been told the thickening is due to cholesterol and put on a no fat/low fat diet. I've lost a stone in weight and am quiet weak with no energy to exercise. I've just got a report on a blood test taken some 5 wks ago that my cholesterol is 5.7. I'm off that diet too now. This is all very confusing as my usual diet is plenty of fruit and veg. (a good balanced diet), good outside exercise and sleep. I read recently gall bladder wall thickening could be one of two things. Either cholesterol, which I cannot understand, or mucus which seems to be more feasible to me. I have bad chest colds every winter and cough up a lot of mucus. Never head colds that I can blow out. My GP has no comment on the possibility of mucus and insists on cholesterol. Has anyone heard of the mucus theory. I'd be grateful to know more. With the info. above I'm even more reluctant to go ahead with the op.

I should have added that the episodes of gallstones before the gall bladder was removed involved severe infections, jaundice once and septicaemia once, another reason I was glad to have it removed.

Yes I had my gall bladder removed in 1998, recovered completely in 4 weeks, and have been so grateful, no more problems over food. Not lost or gained weigh. If it bothers you have it removed.

No, I didn't get my gallbladder removed. On the third and final scan I was told I had several stones, not just one large but not serious and that the gallbladder lining was thickening but not seriously. However my stomach is not back to my normal of up to over 2 yrs ago. I have a choice of going to the loo several times per day and with blood or just blood, with the aid of a laxactive. Or, I can become constipated and don't pass the blood or anything else. I hate the thought of living on a laxactive and decided to stay off and hoped all the fruit and veg. I was eating would help. It didn't and after leaving it 3 days, very severe pains and needless to say, bloating, I started back on the laxactive. It did the trick but I'm bleeding again. I still have the pains and bloating coming back. Whether this has anything to do with the gallbladder, I don't know. I do know my food does not digest properly. However, I have a hosp. appnt. next week and I hope a colonoscopy. I also get the feeling of the need to go. Even after just a glass of water. Which results in bloody wind and I mean that literally. Good luck

I have never had any regrets at having mine out, I can now live a normal life and eat whatever I want.

I had my gallbladder out in Dec 2012 due to having many (50+) small stones...a few months after having a baby boy. I was getting severe pain around my lower ribs in up my back and that what finally diagnosed it.

I am now getting repeated episodes of sickness and diarrhoea (3times in two months) and an ache where my gallbladder was sometimes and my spleen is enlarged (had an ultrasound scan). I feel constantly ill, ie mouth sores, tonsillitis, feet and legs ache! Has anyone else had all this?

People need to chose themselves what's best...

As a follow up to my post on November 2012 ,I discovered the cause of my upset stomachs, rushing to the loo etc. It was my daily cup of coffee! .I normally only drink tea,but every day for years I had a cup of coffee mid morning. I used the instant stuff with the powdered milk in it until someone said it was full of fat ,and that could be the cause of my digestive problems. So I bought myself a coffee machine and enjoyed the freshly brewed cups,but every day I had bad diarrhoea,rushing to the loo,couldn't go out in the afternoons as thats when it was worse. I blamed what I had eaten at lunchtime,and just continued with the immodium. when it was bad. Then, one day my coffee maker broke down,and I was looking for a replacement. I decided not to buy a jar of coffee,and was on the point of ordering a new machine when I realised I hadnt had the stomach cramps,and rushing to the loo for a few days. I wondered if it could possibly be the coffee,so decided to wait for a week and see, and to this date,I have never drank a cup of coffee,and have never had the cramps and diarrhoea again.I have no idea why that could be,but it works for me,and now I am feeling the benefit of having my gallbladder removed

had mine out in June - what I will say in advance is most people on here will be the people who have had problems. I have heard of loads of people at least 3 reputable that had theirs out with no complications however...

I had a bile leak so had another operation a week later and drains fitted which was horrible! I then had a closed wound reopen and a piece of plastic expelled and this wound is still not closed up so I have to attend a dressing clinic once a week...

however I don't get that awful pain anymore!

I am a 54 year old Male that had only one Gallstone attach which lead me to see the Doctor for an ultrasound. The Doc detected Gallstones. I am in good physical condition I road Bicycle 100 miles a week for the last year or so and I had no symptoms. My Gallbladder wasn’t infected and I felt fine.

I don’t know what the big deal is. I went in on a Wednesday had the surgery that Thursday recovered the next two days and Discharged on that Sunday. I don’t know about this outpatient stuff in the US but I needed all of those two days to recover. I had it done in Japan and needed those two days of down time. I am not a proponent of socialized medicine the way the US is going about it but the Japanese system is geared for efficiency. The Hospitals make money by having patients so I knew I’d be in a little longer then the US.

I went in on Wednesday afternoon so they could control/limit my food intake. The next morning I was prepped for the procedure. I had to walk to the operating room, past the sharp instruments on one side and the smiling nurses on the other. I was told to hop up on the table and the nice Anesthesiologist stuck a needled in a vein on my hand. I was told to count to 10, I being nervous started out too fast so they said slower, and so I got to 11, 12 and then zzzzzzzzz. Next thing I know they wake me up and it’s over and I was feeling like they did something down there but I wasn’t in pain. I don’t know if you know this but if a Japanese surgeon Cuts something out of you they want to show someone and my wife was waiting for me to come out. The surgeon comes out with this blob of something (My wife’s description) and proceeds to cutting it open in front of her. My wife being on her game took out her iPhone and took a picture of it cut open. It looked like a bag of peas. I think there had to be 30 or 40 stones of various sizes visible. If I didn’t have it out I am sure I would have had issues in the future.

They wheel me into recovery so they can monitor my breathing and pulse but I was amazed how I didn’t feel sick or I didn’t have that much pain at all. I have watched both my wife and daughter’s surgery which had them throwing up to the point of dry heaves and reeling in pain having to use the same muscles they cut and the weird thing was I was fine. I spent the rest of that afternoon in recovery and once my heart rate was above the 65 bpm range I was moved into my room. I still had the pre-op catheter so I still had a little discomfort (Men you know what I mean). Other than that, I was fine.

The next day they made me walk the hall with my catheter bag and IV so I could prove I could make it to any restroom in the place. I passed with flying colors. Now I have the catheter removed (A feeling no man should have to feel! Thank god it’s out). Next hurdle was I had to eat all my lunch in order to have my IV removed. That was easy since they deprived me food for a day and a half. All of the things holding me down were gone. Next was getting out of bed, rolling to one side wasn’t as bad as it seems but I was afraid to use my stomach muscles in fear of tearing something but I got up fine. My wife and I walked down stairs first because I wanted to push myself to see if I could do it and I was fine. I was a little sore around the wound area but nothing to get pain relievers for.

I am going to say this as for nurses I think all of them have a sadistic streak in them when it comes to tape either that or they had a sale on the stuff. I lost more hair the time I was there and in the worst areas too. Back to my recovery.

So I woke up early Saturday morning and I walked up and down stairs again and again. I took a rest from time to time but I felt pretty good for just having surgery. I spent that night in the hospital and that morning I was discharged and back to work on Monday.

After reading all the Blogs of everybody that had issues and long recovery time I was thinking it was going to be bad. I feel fine and consider it no big deal.

Hi eveveryone's have had my gallbladder removed 8 years ago , I am 40 now, ever since things have been great apart from one occasion where I had to hospitalised , but that was entirely my mistake as I had been eating so much fat and spicy, oily stuff that's been good for me because ever since I controlled my diet and paid bit more attention towards my health.

regarding diet you don't need to leave fat , oily or spicy but just need to be in moderation,,which is better for everyone regardless people like us.I would say yo would remain comfortable having gall bladder removed, don't just pay much attention towards negative reviews.life is all about being positive if we tend to look negatives more then it would be hard to lead this life , there are pros and cons all over .

thanks