GallBaldder Removal Questions

Okay, I have gallstones and will be having my gallbladder removed on April 21st.  I can't wait - that may sound strange, but the pain in my side will be gone.

My questions are:

1.  What problems did you have after surgery? Complications? Issues such as diarrhea, gas, etc.

2.  How long was recovery?  I hear people going back to work a few days later, but what about pain, energy levels, and any problems.

3.  What did you change in your way of eating?

4.  Do you watch your fats?  if so, how many fats do you take in per meal or per day?

5.  What type of foods do you eat now? Compared to what you ate before? 

6.  What was your food intake right after surgery?  Liquids? No change?

Sorry, just trying to get some info before hand.  I know all of us are different.  I know I can drive after 24 hours, but they have not told me anything yet other than when i have surgery they will tell me afterward.  Seems like they would tell people beforehand so they know what to expect, like if I need to be on broths afterward, then i would buy or make before.

Thank you for any help on being prepared with what is next in my life.

I had my gallbladder out 6 years ago - long before my RNY - so I'm not sure if it will be the same, but I can tell you my experience. They removed my gallbladder laproscopically, four little incisions. I was released the next day. They started me on a clear liquid diet and I progressed to a regular diet before I left the hospital. There was little restrictions after my surgery, though I was told not to eat nuts for a few weeks (I tolerated them just fine after a few weeks).

1.  What problems did you have after surgery? Complications? Issues such as diarrhea, gas, etc. I didn't have any. Nothing.

2.  How long was recovery?  I hear people going back to work a few days later, but what about pain, energy levels, and any problems. The pain actually wasn't bad. A few days of taking it easy, of course, but I was back to my self and lifting my then infant and toddler like I normally did.

3.  What did you change in your way of eating? Again - mine was pre-RNY - there really were no significant changes at all.

4.  Do you watch your fats?  if so, how many fats do you take in per meal or per day? I never had a problem consuming fats afterward and was given no specific guidelines to restrict them.

5.  What type of foods do you eat now? Compared to what you ate before?  Everything I ate after my gallbladder came out was the same as before. (A WHOLE different story after the RNY though!)

6.  What was your food intake right after surgery?  Liquids? No change? Right after surgery, they progress you from clear liquids to soft foods to regular diet pretty quickly as long as you tolerate it well. I was sent home the day after my gallbladder removal with a normal, regular diet.

Again, mine was removed pre-RNY, so I'm not sure if there would be differences, but this was my experience. Hope this helps! Hope your removal goes well and you heal quickly! 

~Karen

I will be sent home the day of surgery - about 4 hours after surgery.  It's amazing how fast they get you in and out.  I only hope I have no problems.  I had none with RNY other than no energy for about 4-5 months, so i don't foresee any with this and it should be really easy compared to RNY.  he is going to try to use the same places from my LAP RNY surgery if he can.  That would be nice since my scars have healed nicely and most rarely show now. 

Thanks for replying.

I had about the same experience as Karen.  No problems/restrictions/no change in eating after.  I did go back to work a bit too soon though.  I had surgery Friday and went back on Tuesday.  I was exhausted and should have waited a couple more days. 

I had mine out last Wednesday.

1. What problems did you have after surgery?
The staff was surprised by how quickly I was up and around and ready to move. I got up and went to the bathroom, they brought lunch for my wife and I and we were sent on our way. It was strange because as good as I felt at the hospital, by the time we were driving home, I was wiped out. I slept in the car and passed out on my back when we got home. I had moderate pain in my tummy that night, but they sent me home with NSAIDs that helped. (I am still pre-op) They didn't give me anything stronger. I could only sleep on my back the first night. Day two was a little more painful in my shoulder and abdomen, but I was still okay. I was able to sleep more on my side, so I slept better. Day three I was very sore and very tired. Things got better day four, but because I felt better, I overdid it. I should have rested another day. I ended up taking the following week off school. I am still a little sore now, but I have been working in my yard this weekend without problem. The incisions are healing nicely and there's not real PAIN, just soreness. I have had diarrhea most days and milk products seem to upset my stomach, so I avoided them until today. Today I am pretty much back to normal digestively.

2. How long was recovery? I was planning on returning to school this Monday (after 5 days), but there was just no way. The doctor suggested 7-10 days before returning to normal activities. I needed the full 10 before cramming back into classes and shuffling down busy hallways. If I had a desk job, I could have returned earlier.

3. What did you change in your way of eating? I just stayed away from dairy for a few days. I don't eat any meat, though, and we eat pretty low fat other than the dairy, so that may have made it easier.

4. Do you watch your fats? Only really get fats from dairy and I stayed away.

5. What type of foods do you eat now? We ate lots of soups at first because it was easy. By the weekend I was back to normal foods.

6. What was your food intake right after surgery? I am pre-op, so there was really no change. I wasn't hungry, but my wife made me drink water every few hours, even if I was sleeping. lol

I personally didn't feel like driving for several days. I was tired and a little slow for almost a week. I think the blowing up of the abdomen is the most painful part.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply and the info.  I have surgery on the 21st and was supposed to go to my RNY checkup on the 25th, but already have plans to cancel since it is a 2 hour drive one way for me so 4 hours and 4 days after surgery - uh no.

I figured I would be tired too since it took me so long after RNY to get some energy back.

It's nice to see what others experienced.  Good luck on your upcoming surgery!  it is wonderful!!!

I had my gallbladder out on March 19th. This was my expierence. Went to ER on the 17th.
Hello there.
Thursday evening I started hurting again. I called my surgeons office and they told me to come to the ER. I go and a regular dr. checks me out takes my blood sends me down for an XRay since I just had a CT at a different ER a week earlier. Then send me to have an ultrasound done. After I get back in the room in the er the nurse says they have a bed ready for me upstairs. I was like a bed. The dr. didn't say anything about being admitted. Then he comes in and says they want to do a hida scan in the morning to check things out. Well I stayed Friday and late that day the the surgeon decides he is going to take my gallbladder out Saturday morning and run a scope down my throat and have a look around as well as look around while he is inside me. Ok after surgery I find out I had my gallbladder removed a hiatal hernia repaired and adhesions removed. Right after surgery i was in major pain but by Saturday night was just sore. They decided to keep me and let me out today. I have learned that the med Nubain gives me migraines. Cause they gave me a Nubain Shot in the ER and by the time i was upstairs and admitted my head was throbbing to the point I got sick ! I have had all kinds of fluids and a couple iv's of pepcid. But over all I'm feeling ok. So instead of food poisoning last friday it was probably just my gallbladder. I gotta call surgeons office tom. and make a follow up app. in 2 wks. Oh and I used Dr Wheeler. Cause my main surgeon was out of town on vacation. But I have heard good things about this surgeon as well. They said it wasn't empting fast enough. I didn't have any stones. Now I might start feeling better !..
I was able to have regular food at the hospital the evening of my surgery. I felt pretty good the next few days. I was sent home with Lortab 5/500's. The nurses were surprised at how well I was doing after my surgery. I was able to move over to my own hospital bed after I was out of recovery. I was also walking around fine. I did have some gas pain but I used Gas X Strips to help with that and also walking helps. So I was out of hospital Sunday morning, mom drove me, also stopped at WalMart and picked up some things then stopped at Rite Aid.  Came home and went to bed. Monday morning I was able to take my son to school. But it did hurt to drive, so I let my dad pick him up. The next morning I was fine and back on regular sched.
10 days later :
Hello just got back from ER. I ran a fever of 101 earlier today and have thrown up off and on today and had diarrhea at 430 am, but last night i would be freezing to death and wake up in a cold sweat. So I went to ER and managed to get 2 tylenol down me about an hour before i went so my temp was down to 98.3 and I was haveing MAJOR right side pains but this pain was no where near any incesion and is sharp. Had to have a bag of fluids and when he tried to put the IV in it blew a vein aso i had to get stuck again : ( , zofran (sp) 2 doses 2 Morphine shots and 2 lortab 5's, an Xray then a CT. Everything showed up good, may have a gas bubble there and they said my bowel sounded slow, so I follow up with surgeon tom. at 8 am. I have drank 2 Sobe lifewaters on the way home (1.5 hr drive to hospital) they told me to drink fluids. Now I'm off to bed.
Next morning :
Karen Jones Burroughs Hi Everybody,
I just wanted to let you know that they put Holli in the hospital today and they took her appendix out....The surgery went well and she's doing great.
She may get to come home tonight....we'll see :)
I had my appendix taken out today and I'm home now ! Feeling MUCH better than I was. Sent home with Lortab 10/500. Not much pain at all with this surgery either. I feel so much better now !

As of today my cuts are all healed up but I still have some bruises.
I'm on a regular diet. Nothing about my diet has changed I can eat all the things I did before  my surgerys.

Holli
 

I ahd my GB out 2 years after my RNY.  The only problem I had after surgery was a slightly longer recuperation time (off work 2 weeks) since one of the incisions had to be significantly larger in order for the surgeon to be able to get through (and work underneath) the mesh from my previous hernia repair.  I had the usual, annoying gas pains from teh lap surgery for a few days afterward, of course.  My 67 year-old mother, on the other hand, had her GB out about 6 months ago and she had NO gas pains at all!

I did not have to change anything in my diet since I was already limiting fats and carbs after my RNY.  No problems with diarrhea, but I am a bit more prone to gas.   I was allowed a regular diet in the hospital the day after surgery.

I find it interesting that they told you that you could drive after 24 hours.  I have always been told not to drive for at least 48 hours after general anesthesia (and not until no longer taking pain meds).

Lora

I had to go back and reread that part.  It says:

"Patients are advised not to drive, make important decisions, or sign any important documents for 24 hours following surgery."

So by this, it says after 24 hours, I can drive.  I know my surgeon for my RNY said i could drive and do whatever i wanted after surgery.  Well, i used my judgment on that one..lol

My gallbladder removal was prior to my WLS....so things might be different for me.... 


1.  What problems did you have after surgery? Complications? Issues such as diarrhea, gas, etc.  None

2.  How long was recovery?  I hear people going back to work a few days later, but what about pain, energy levels, and any problems.
I had 3 weeks off....but I went on a cruise 3 days after I was relased from the hospital.   No pain....no problems.

3.  What did you change in your way of eating?
No changes

4.  Do you watch your fats?  if so, how many fats do you take in per meal or per day?
Continued to eat the same crappy diet I ate prior to the gallbladder out!

5.  What type of foods do you eat now? Compared to what you ate before? 
The only change I had was being gassy after eating cabbage....but I still eat it! 


6.  What was your food intake right after surgery?  Liquids? No change?
No change