Question:
my doctor is not taking out my gallbladder---should he?????????

my doctor is not taking out my gallbladder, he said i had no gallstones so he was not going to touch it. im worried because i hear that later down the road it might be very likely that i will need to get it out. id just like to get it out now so that i dont have to go under the knife. any one not had it out and later on had to have it out. MY SURGERY IS THIS WEDNESDAY. also i cant post that i have a surgery date. thank u soooo much. i love u guys :)    — jessica B. (posted on June 10, 2002)

June 10, 2002
I'm not sure what state you're in, but in Michigan it is against the law to remove a healthy organ. Only 30% of WLS patients develope stones and not all those have to have their gallbladder removed. I had an open rny January 24th this year and I still have my gallbladder....with no current problems. I have read that drinking above the 64 oz of water each day will help (not prevent, but help) ward off the formation of the major, painful stones. Good luck!
   — Paula Prichard

June 10, 2002
It may depend on your insurance company. Some companies will authorize and pay for the removal of the gallbladder in conjunction with the surgey since there is indication of increased incidents of gallbladder disease after dramatic weight loss. However, if your insurance company does not and you have a healthy gallbladder currently, don't despair. You are not guaranteed to have trouble with it. My gallbladder was left in when I had my surgery two years ago. My PCP was CERTAIN that I'd be needing it yanked within a year - however, here I am, no pain, no troubles, two years out, 147 pounds lighter with a functioning gallbladder. Try not to worry. It may need to come out later, it may not.
   — BethVBG

June 10, 2002
My doc says 'if it isn't broke, why fix it'. I had asked him the same thing. I was also on Actigall for preventative purposes.
   — Cheri M.

June 10, 2002
I am having WLS 6/17 and asked my Dr. the same thing. He wouldn't do it either. Told me that he'd do it lap later if need be. If you're worried, you can do a gall bladder cleanse (check the net for directions- ask.com is a good place to start). I'm going to later on in the week. Good luck with your surgery!
   — Loretta E.

June 10, 2002
I "begged" my surgeon to take mine out when he did the WLS. He said my insurance would'nt pay for it. (Don't know if that is the case or not). I felt sure if it WAS'NT taken out, I'd be back. Sure enough, less than 10 months later it HAD to COME OUT! But I did'nt go back to him for it. (I wanted to have it done close to home). You can pretty much figure (if you have bad luck like I do) that you will be having another surgery after WLS to get it out! (What they heck are wrong with the insurance companies? It would be cheaper to have it done at the same time). If you are lucky and don't have problems, then fine. But I never had luck like that. ;)
   — Danmark

June 10, 2002
If at all possible...I would recommend trying to get your doc to take it out. My insurance would have paid for it and my surgeon didn't remove mine. He said it was healthy when he examined it during my WLS. I asked about actigall and he didn't see a need for it. At 9 mos post op I had to have my gallbladder removed. I couldn't have it done lap due to scar tissue from the Open RNY. So...another Open surgery to recover from. It was a pain and would have been SO nice if he had removed it at the time of surgery. Live and Learn I guess ;) Good Luck!
   — Nicole P.

June 10, 2002
Hi Jessica, My dr also didnt take my gallbladder out. I am 14 mos post op or maybe its 15..lol..ive quit counting. I still have my gallbladder and have had no problems. I took actigall for the first 6 mos postop, it is a medicine to help prevent gallstones. I would ask your dr about it. It has good studies behind it showing it works. The gallbladder does serve an important purpose and I agree that if nothing is wrong with it at the time of surgery there is no reason to take it out.
   — Eva C.