PISSED

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind! My Dr seems to think that many many people walk around with gall stones all the time and if they are not symptomatic than the gall bladder is not diseased. I did mention it to my PCP and she basically said the same thing.

It's true, if you are not symptomatic, there is no hurry to take out the gallbladder.  BUT, it can be dangerous if a stone gets stuck in the common bile duct.

 My surgeon had the same approach when I had my RNY and indicated that only about 30% of RNYers end up having to have their gallbladder out if they still have it so she does not remove it if someone has not had any trouble with it or does not have a clear indication that it needs to come out based on the pre-op ultrasound.

The difference for me was that  no one TOLD me that I HAD gallstones when they did my pre-op testing.  If I had known, I likely would have put the two and two together (I had a case of pancreatitis that they had labeled as idiopathic a couple of years earlier) and I would have mentioned the pancreatitis to her and asked her to just go ahead and take the gallbladder when she did the open RNY.  As it was, I had a second attack of pancreatitis (which hurts like hell!) 2 years after my RNY and, after being the hospital a week to get the pancreas to calm down, had the gallbladder removed.

Lora

I would not have known either, except the ultrasound tech kept going over and over the same area and I asked if she saw something. She said "we really aren't supposed to say anything, but you do have some gall stones." When I went in for my preop appt I don't think my Dr mentioned it but I said something and then he explained that he doesn't like doing both together because if you have a complication it is harder to pinpoint the problem. Knowing is a good thing though because I will always be thinking about it if I have symptoms!

Three days after I had my gallbladder removed I was cleaning my house for a graduation party...2 days later my husband and I left for a month long road trip out east.  It was the fastest recovery I have ever had.  They did mine laproscopicly.  It really was a piece of cake.  If I were you I would schedule the surgery ASAP...you will feel great by May!

I had gallbladder removed in July 2010, very very vey easy procedure.  I went in the ER and had the surgery the same day.  it was no big deal, I was up and walking all over the next day, even went to Costco! LOL  I had the emergency surgery on Monday and went back to work Thursday. 

Hi. Here is something to think about...having severe pain and illness and hospital stay in another country. Some insurance will not pay outside of the US. Think how badly that would screw things up for you. The cost is immense. It seems like maybe you are thinking this surgery is a lot worse than it is. I would rather get it behind me. Btw most insurance plans have a yearly out of pocket max that you have to pay. I would think the cost of the bypass would have easily met that amount. It is worth checking on. Not to make you worry more or lecture, just a little more to consider. You could probably schedule it on Fri and take Mon off too and be ok. They aren't going to give you a hard time for a surgery. Good luck

I started having gallbladder issues 6 weeks after my RNY. I was disappointed to have another surgery, but I was glad to get it out. I felt so much better.

And as far as the cost goes, fortunately my RNY met my out of pocket costs, so my gallbladder surgery was free to me.

I felt back to normal two weeks after surgery. I think I would have been back to normal sooner but was still healing from my RNY. You will have an advantage there being farther out.

I hope you are feeling better soon.

My gall bladder was taken out during my RNY because stone form often soon after RNY.  YOU cant keep a diseased gall bladder. You could have dire consequences.

I lost my gall bladder in 99. I was misdiagnosed twice and sent home from the e.r. Be glad it got diagnosed so early. Get it taken our and work to recover as easily as you can. If you are worried about blood clots ask your dr about lovonox self injections. Also make sure you get up and walk a lot while on the plane. People have blood clot issues without having had surgery, when on a plane for a long time.

I am so glad I had them take mine out. I've never had an issue with gall stones since, knock on wood...lol.