Cholecystectomy with sleeve?

Feedback on having gallbladder removed at time of sleeve vs. devloping problems after? I do not have any gallbladder issues right now but have read that many people develop gallstones after rapid weight loss with sleeve. I would rather not have to go through the issues including another potential surgery to have gallbladder out at another time.

I still have my gallbladder and no issues eight years after surgery.  My surgeon does not remove the gallbladder during surgery unless there are problems with it.

I, too, worry about my gall bladder, which so far, has not given me any problems. But I will be in Central America from January to April next year, and I'm hoping that if my gall bladder decides it's had enough, it will wait until I'm back in the States. It is worrying.

Up to a third of bariatric patients will develop gall bladder problems during or after weight loss. Some surgeons will preemptively remove the gall bladder when they do the sleeve; most do not unless there are already problems with it, as White Dove noted. 

If your surgeon's practice is not to routinely remove the gall bladder during bariatric surgery, he/she probably won't do it if you request it, unless you can provide a compelling medical reason to do so (I don't know what a compelling medical reason would be, but I think that your wish not to have an additional surgery hanging over your head probably is not compelling enough).

But you can ask.

psychoticparrot

I just had my gallbladder removed last week, 14 months and 140 pounds post sleeve. To me the entire ordeal with my gallbladder was mostly just a major inconvenience more than anything LOL. I started having small, very short lived discomforts in the immediate gallbladder region roughly 4 months ago and mentioned it in an appointment with my surgeon. He didn't really address it so I pretty much forgot about it. That is until I started having more frequent discomfort accompanied with loose stools in September. Again I wouldn't really say I was in pain, just annoyed. So when my surgeon seemed certain it was my gallbladder and sent me for an ultrasound, I doubted him to his face. Turns out the guy was right- gallstones galore! I thought to have those I would be doubled over in agony and in the ER. Guess not! Anyway, the only reason I would say take advantage of having it removed if your surgeon will do it now is that I'm finding more pain in the areas where he reentered a few on my old incisions from the sleeve. And the fact that no one likes to go under more than they have to, even if it is a rather simple out patient procedure. Good luck!