Question:
The surgeon I am going to see always takes the gallbladder out when he does surgerer

I really don't to loose anything that may not have to come out. Do most doctors do this? His opinion is it will have to come out anyway from having this surgery. Does this wls injure the gallbladder? Can I keep my gallbladder? Please give me your feedback.    — linda T. (posted on January 2, 2004)

January 2, 2004
My surgeon always removes the gallbladder as well. He said that with the rapid weight loss that is experienced after WLS the gallbladder will often fail and result in another surgery to remove it. Better to take it out on the front end and avoid any potential complications later with removal.
   — Theresa A

January 2, 2004
My doctor said pretty much the same thing as Thresa's. He takes out the appendix, too---no sense in hanging on to something that doesn't do you any good and might need to come out later. (*grin*)
   — MsBatt

January 2, 2004
Our GB are kjind of doomed anyway. From being obese, from losing weight via diet, whatever. They often do come out shortly after surgery if they were healthy at the time of surgery. Some docs feel it is unethical to take out a healthy organ. And I'm not making a statement, either way. Some docs feel it's unethical to leave it there, knowing the odds. There really isn't much reason to keep it. For the obese, it's kind of like a time bomb in there. I "donated" at 23, and in the dark ages, that meant 6 days in the hospital and a 9" scar! So, my personal vote would be to let him have it!
   — vitalady

January 2, 2004
My surgeon also takes out the galbladder at the time of the rny. The majority end up having to have it taken out post op anyway. So i was all for him taking it out at that time so i didn't have to have another surgery. kristiky
   — tinalivesay

January 2, 2004
my insurance company will not pay for the removal of the gallbladder unless it is bad at the time of the wls surgery. I had a healthy gallbladder , i was hoping it would be removed but i kept it. now at 10 months i started with nothing but problems that lasted 9 months, so at 19 months it died! ofcourse my deductable went up at this point too, result 19 months post op , gallbladder surgery, 9 months of being sick, and a $2,000 plus deductable i was stuck with paying . get that thing out now , you will not regret it later. just wish those insurance companies would see it will have to come out later and it is just another expense for them as well as the patient. best wishes
   — rhondan

January 2, 2004
I specifically asked my surgeon to take my gallbladder out at the time of surgery because of the high rate that goes bad after surgery. His answer to me was "it is unethical to remove a healthy body part just because it might go bad. It would be like doing a heart transplant on someone just because they are high risk for a heart attack." Makes sense to me.
   — Delores S.

January 2, 2004
Linda...from what I understand, this is normal procedure. The reason for this is that the majority of people that have this surgery will end up getting gall stones after surgery and this is a preventive measure the some drs take . Hope this helps. Deb
   — Deb S.

January 2, 2004
Let him take it out. I had surgery 5/9/02 and had my first serious GB attack in 7/02. After that it was nothing but misery until they finally had to take it out 12/1/2002. It was so infected they had to leave the incision open and we had to pack it every day for 3 weeks. Believe me, if they had offered to take it out during the RNY I would have jumped at the chance. You'll thank yourself.
   — Vicki H.

January 2, 2004
My surgeon's opinion was that he would not remove a healthy organ, I am over a year out and have not had any problems with my gallbladder. I really don't see how anyone (including surgeons) can generalize that your galbladder "will eventually give you trouble" without some statistical evidence to back it up. Be aware that your insurance MAY NOT pay for the removal of your gallbladder without evidence that it was necessary.
   — koogy

January 2, 2004
My surgeon also removes the gallbladder and the appendix. I did not have my gallbladder any longer, but my appendix were still there when I had surgery on 12/9/03. He did take my appendix. I believe, that the diet we follow will ordinarily lead to gall stones, therefore prophylactically they remove the gallblader. This could prevent you from having unnecessary additional surgeries. You don't need the gallbladder or the appendix anyway. I have done fine w/out either of them !! Hope this helps. Renee (open RNY 12/9/03 -36lbs)
   — renee32162

January 3, 2004
The gallbladder doesn't <b>always</b> go back after WLS. I've got over 200 pounds and declined to fill the Actigall prescription that my surgeon wrote. I did this because it is not 100% effective in preventing gallstones and it was a huge pill and I have pill-taking issues post-op (even broken in half, most pills seem to sit in my pouch for a long while and cause me discomfort). I have not had gallbladder problem #1. The surgeons at HUP don't take out healthy gallbladders (an abdominal ultrasound is part of the pre-op screen process there). If you don't want your gallbladder removed, then express your concerns to your surgeon. He'll either agree to not take it out, try to convince you it should be taken out or say if you don't consent to the gallbladder removal, that he won't do the RNY. If it's the last option, then you have a decision to make. Good luck! JR (open RNY 07/17/02 -204# since surgery, -217# total, 10# til goal!!!)
   — John Rushton

January 3, 2004
That first sentence should have read the gallbladder doesn't always go <b>bad</b> after WLS - not back. Wish this Q&A had an Edit or Preview function *G*...JR
   — John Rushton

January 3, 2004
Let him have the useless organ. I was told in MANY cases the gallbladder bites the dust and you go back for yet another surgery. My doctor removed mine during my Open RNY. I never had any gallbladder issues, but since he was up in there and the stats were good it would go bad anyway, I told him go for it.
   — Ginger M.

January 3, 2004
Wow, what a lot of responses you've gotten and not one them had this answer, so far. I do have to agree with most of these. Due to the rapid weight loss most very healthy gallbladders, if left in after WLS, will develope gallstones. I had no gallstones one week before WLS, this was confirmed by ultrasound. One year after WLS, my gallbladder is full of stones, confirmed by ultasound. I have never had a problem with the gallbladder and down jars of hot peppers every week (my addiction). I am not troubled with fatty foods which I find hard to avoid sometimes. My current hernia surgeon has said it is my choice if I want the GB out. I MAY never have an attack and could live my life out with a gallbaldder full of stones. Many people do. It's all a gamble you decide to take. I've got a little more detail in my profile if you're still listening. Good luck on your decision. BTW - I wish my RNY doc had mentioned the antigall meds for the first 6 monthes. I would have taken it.
   — jocelyn

January 3, 2004
Is your surgery going to be open or Lap? Mine was done Lap and I still have my gallbladder, they did an ultrasound to check it out before surgery, if there had been any signs of problems with it they would have taken it. Another doc in the same practice who only does the RNY open, always takes the gallbladder. I think part of it, is it can be harder to do lap procedures on people who have previously had open surgeries, so if they are going in Open they are going to take it.
   — Patricia T.

January 3, 2004
The WLS in itself does not damage the gallbladder. I had mine taken out during my surgery. This is standard practice for my Dr as many people develop problems in the future. Bring your concerns up to your Dr. Good Luck!
   — Stephanie B.

January 3, 2004
Most studies confirm that gallbladder disease strikes about 20% of the people who sustain rapid weight loss (as opposed to striking about 12% of the general population). Of the 20% of us who develop gallbladder disease, many (although certainly not all) need to have their gallbladder removed. Although I had to have my gallbladder removed at 13 months, the operation was relatively simple-- and, oddly enough, ultrasounds and CT scans done at 6 months (when my weight loss had been very rapid) revealed no disease or stones. As the gallbladder just makes the flow of bile from the liver into the intestine more efficient, it is not critical to digestion and can be removed without too much of a problem (although some people do report an increase in flautulence post-gall bladder remover). So, the moral of the story is that it is probably not necessary to have your gallbladder removed at the time of gastric bypass surgery as the chances are greater that you will not need it removed later on. But, if you don't mind having a little increased gas and definitely want to avoid the 20% risk that you'll be back on the table to have your gallbladder removed sooner or later, it probably won't hurt to have it yanked at the time of gastric bypass.
   — SteveColarossi

January 3, 2004
Talk to your surgeon! Ask him/her why they do this? All the reasons listed here look like good ones..either for doing it or not. My surgeon did take mine, and I trusted that he knew what was best, but I sure asked him why first. If you can come up with enough good reasons to keep yuors...ask him to leave it in..if not...lose the thing.
   — Carol S.

January 3, 2004
I am pre op but my surgeon said he would take out my healthy gallbladder if I wanted because according to him, 50% of people who have wls develop problems with their gallbladder later and this saves you from going under the knife again.
   — danluvsme

January 13, 2004
I begged my surgeon to take mine out with WLS as I knew with all my previous surgeries "that if anything can go wrong, it WILL go WRONG". Of course it did go wrong. He said my insurance would'nt cover it. Sure enough 10 months later it went bad and had to come out...hence another surgery that I knew in my gut "pun intended" would happen if it was'nt removed. :( Get the blasted thing taken out with WLS. You don't need it and it might very well prevent you from having to have another surgery.
   — Danmark

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