gall bladder

Have any of you had to have your gall bladder out before wls? Was it open or lap? How did you do? I'm a bigger gal, above 400, and I may need to have mine taken out. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I had mine out lap, at 22. I was about 340 at the time (but I'm 5'0 so my BMI was very high) - I was just glad to have it out. I'd waited much too long to go to the doctor, and was in the beginning stages of pancreatitis. I'd had basically constant pain and vomiting for 2-3 months at that point but no insurance. Real smart.

Immediately after surgery I felt a million times better than I had in months. It was painful, for sure, and since it was the first time I'd had surgery, I really didn't understand HOW painful it is when you first wake up. Now I'm used to it ;) The worst part was the gas that settled in my shoulders for a few days. I rocked in a rocking chair a lot. Afterwards I had trouble with fatty meals, and sometimes with any meal. I also had recurrent intermittent pain that felt like a low grade attack. This is fairly common and tends to happen less and less the farther you are from having it out. I still have one or two a year but they usually only last a day, if that.  At first it was maybe once a month for 3-4 days.

Walking around isn't hard but you are definitely tender in the abdomen, so bending and wiping yourself might be problematic. I don't forsee any other issues, unless you already have poor mobility or something like that. Just make sure your doc knows how to handle large patients, and if you don't feel confident that he does, go elsewhere.

Good luck!

I had mine taken out when I was 19, that's 22 years ago. Things have changed ALOT since then. I had mine as an open surgery. A VERY large scar and went home with a drain for 2 weeks then when I went back to get it taken out, I thought they were going to pull my spine out'a the hole the drain was in!!!!!!!!!! Plum took my breath away. They said, "Take a deep breath!" Boy when I did they snatched and I didn't think I'd ever breath again!!!

I"m not saying this to scare you mind ya' it is THE truth!!!

Nowadays....they do it by lap, faster recovery rates, less infections and time down from work,,,things like that. Everybody I've ever seen I'd say in the last 10 years or so have had a much better time of it than I did.

Felt alot better after I got it out...everything I ate I couldn't keep down. Every since I've had IBS no matter whether I smell food I gtg, while I'm eating sometimes I gtg, and especially about 30 mins after I eat I gtg and it's like water. Before surgery was projectile vomiting at it's worst!!! And terrible upper right quad pain. So I'll take the IBS anytime over all that!!
I know how ya' feel and boy! am I ever sorry!!!

My surgeon would also take mine out while he was doing the sleeve if I still had mine, so he said. But I didn't, so all is grand, if the insurance co would just get off their bums and lets get on with the program!!! LOL

Thanks for the replies, ladies. I'm soo scared. Someone told me that the surgeon would probably have to do mine open being most of my weight is in my upper stomachc.   But I havent even seen a surgeon yet. I'm just trying to gather info to ease my mind. Thanks again!