Question about Surgery
Hello all! I am still several months away from having my surgery. I have researched and discovered that due to the lose of weight so quickly that your Gall Bladder can't keep up and therefore will need to be removed down the road after surgery and weight loss. Should I request that mine be taken out while I'm having the RNY? What are your thoughts? As far as having surgery this will be my first time ad my thinking is why wait, have it taken out now rather than wait till later!
on 11/12/16 9:53 am
I already had my GB out and I'm having RNY next week. My sister recently had the sleeve and she asked me the same thing. I figured one surgery was easier than two and if I had to choose I would have it taken out at the same time. Her surgeon wasn't as quick to say yes, He said he would look at it and if he though it should come out he would do it. They found that it was inflamed and took it out. In recovery she was soooo happy to hear that she would not need another surgery down the road. Not every one has a GB issue after, but its very common.
RNY 11/21/16 - HW/SW 309 LW 150
REVISION 4/10/23 - HW 240 SW 225 CW 164 GW 155
They will usually do an abdominal scan pre-surgery which will tell them the condition of your GB- do you have stones or sludge. I know my surgeon will not remove a healthy gall bladder... it is not a given it will have to come out. Anyone who loses weight quickly can have a problem, not just WLS patients. There is a medicine they can give you after surgery to try and help prevent a problem...
Some Docs have no problem just taking it no matter what...mine would only do if there is a reason...
Cynthia 5'11" RNY 7/23/2014
Goal reached 17 months. 220lb Weight Loss
Plastic Surgery Dr. Joseph Michaels - LBL and Hernia Repair 2/29/16, Arm Lift, BL, 5/2/16, Leg Lift 7/25/16
#lifeisanadventure #fightthegoodfight #noregrets
They will let you know whether it's healthy or not.
If it's not giving you issues... it does serve a function (breaking down fats, etc.), some people have more frequent bowel movements without a gb (especially if you eat higher fat foods) and recovery from both is slightly longer (more surgery = more risk, not huge but obviously more)
Best wishes on your surgery LOL with or without a gallbladder ;) best gift I ever gave myself.
Glad to read you had an easy recovery. Did you have one, big stone or gravel-like stones? A couple of WLS support group members report developing kidney stones; the pain in their voice has me adding pure lemon juice to a glass of warm water every morning hoping to avoid yet another thing to worry about.
I never asked about the size of the stones. They just told me I had gallstones and needed the gallbladder out. My sister talked to the surgeon afterwards but I don't think she would have asked that question. I do think I remember them saying two large stones at some point.
I had been having chest pain for months that my doctor was giving me PPI's for. Nothing was helping so he had me go to the hospital for a closer look. They found the gallstones, called my weight loss surgeon to take the gallbladder out and then did a chemical stress test and found a heart abnormality.
So the weight loss surgeon said to get the heart issue fixed and he would do the gallbladder later.
When I had catherization, there were three blocked arteries. They said I have abnormally small arteries so they blocked easily and were too small for a stent. They did a triple bypass in March, 2016. Everything is good now with the heart and he took the gallbladder out Wednesday.
I was worried about still being in pain after the surgery from the gall stones, but that did not happen. The pain seems to have been completely heart related.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
My surgeon kept mine in, there was nothing wrong with it so there was no need to remove it.
No one surgery is better than the other, what works for one may not work for another. T-Rebel