Question:
Is it true that once I have my gall bladder out I will lose the wight faster?

Hi all, I am set to have gall bladder surgery on Monday, June 26. I had my RNY on Nov 10, 1999 and have lost 91 pounds so far. I have about 50 more to go and I have heard that after GBsurgery it gos faster. Is that true?    — Melody B. (posted on June 24, 2000)

June 24, 2000
Sorry, this isn't really the answer to your question, but I think that having any surgery will probably help you lose a little faster for a little while at least. I had my RnY nine months ago. My weight loss had slowed down to about 4 or 5 pounds a month, and I would plateau for a couple weeks between each two or three pound loss. Then, I had a large hernia repaired this month. I was NPO for two days, then clear liquids for two days after the surgery. Once I was allowed to start eating again, I found that I could only eat a few bites at a time, as if I was new to solid foods again. I guess my stomach had shrunk some during my four days of not eating, or maybe the swelling from my hernia site was putting pressure on my pouch. Whatever the reason, I ended up losing seven pounds in less than two weeks, and I am still eating less and losing more now after 3 weeks than I was before the hernia surgery. The surgery was a big pain (literally!), but at least I got this benefit from it.
   — Lynn K.

June 24, 2000
Melody, if you were on Actigal or some other form of bile salts following your RNy, your weight loss may increase following GB removal. Bile salts can slow your weight loss. Once the initial large weight loss slows and the bile salts are no longer needed, weight loss may pick up a bit. How that varies with GB I'm not sure.
   — Duffy H.

June 25, 2000
Hi Melody: I had the same experience as Lynn. At 7 months post-op I had a hernia repair. It jump-started my weight loss again and got me off a plateau that I'd been on for about 4 weeks. I've continued losing since then, too. Slowly, of course, but it continues. I'm almost 11 months post-op now, and I've lost 110 pounds.
   — Jaye C.

June 25, 2000
I don't have any experience with having gall bladder removed after WLS. But, mine was removed 12 years before WLS. I am a slow weight loser now - probably for other reasons - possibly the hormone replacement therapy I'm on due to hysterectomy. Anyway, I wanted to add that I have had no constipation since WLS and perhaps not having a gall bladder aids that way. Hope this helps and best wishes with your upcoming surgery.
   — Cindy H.