PDA

View Full Version : cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)



CrknJac
06-12-2008, 01:12 PM
Anyone have this procedure? I'm going to have this done in 2 weeks and have no idea what to expect. I've never had any kind of surgery in my life!
Any insight/advice would be greatly appreciated!

disneydeb
06-12-2008, 01:20 PM
I've had it along with another surgery at the same time. My best advice is get up and walk as soon as they will let you. I walked that day 2X and had no problem what so ever!

If it is laproscopic as was mine, no worries - Hakuna Mutata!

:pixie:

gmgdisneymom
06-12-2008, 01:42 PM
I agree, make sure that you get up and walk - the same day if possible. I had it done when I was 21. No matter how much pain you are in you must walk or your pain will triple later. Don't be a hero either - take the pain meds. Believe it or not, you will heal alot faster. Good luck

Jeri Lynn
06-12-2008, 01:42 PM
I had a a couple things happen, nothing major.

1. I was scheduled for surgery at about 8am and was never taken into the surgery room until about 5pm in the afternoon, by which time the anti-nausea medicine they had given me in the morning had well worn off and I woke up vomiting from the anestesia...

2. My doctor was very handsome, even with his mask on and I was laying on the table before I went out and I heard the nurse say, Doctor, this young woman has four children, while I'm thinking, OMG he is going to see me naked!:blush::blush:

3. I was told I would feel like new within a day or two and it was a good month before I felt normal...however, I also had four kids and at the time the oldest was six and the youngest was about 6 months, so that may have contributed to the slow recovery!

4. I had alot of shoulder pain, not sure what that was from, possibly the anestesia...

The surgery itself was easy, 3 or 4 little incisions that were just covered by a bandaid, no stitches neccessary!!

mickey&missy
06-12-2008, 01:45 PM
I had to have mine removed when my now 5 year old DS was 12 days old. I had no problems at all after the surgery. I was really a sinch! It was done laproscopiclly and I have 3 tiny scares, one on the right side of my abdomen, one in belly button and one a little above my belly button. Having it removed was such a relief! I was having terrible, terrible gallbladder attacks for most of my pregnancy!

Lots of :pixie: for a speedy recovery!

kakn7294
06-12-2008, 01:53 PM
Not from personal experience but from a nurse's perspective: For a lap choley, they will make 1 - 4 small incisions that are covered just with bandaids after your procedure. You should be discharged the same day or the next day after surgery and can probably return to work in 1 to 2 weeks. For an open choley, you will have a larger (4 - 6" or so) abdominal incision closed with staples. You may also have a drain or 2. You will probably stay at least 2 to 5 days, especially if you have drains. You can probably return to work in about 4 to 6 weeks. As far as your care afterwards, they will use Carbon Dioxide gas during the procedure with leaves you with a belly full of gas that many people find painful at first (think bloating and gas pains) - this is where the walking is extremely important as it helps move that gas out of the belly - walk as much as you can tolerate as soon as you are fully awake. Take the pain meds as well - don't suffer! You won't get addicted to anything in just a few days if you are concerned about narcotics. Good luck!!

DreaminofDisney24
06-12-2008, 01:55 PM
I just had mine out the beginning of the year. As for as surgeries go, it was pretty easy, and I was home the next evening. What I found pretty amazing, was how much you actually use your "core" muscles in life. When they don't hurt, you really take it for granted! For two weeks, it hurt to do the small things-brush my teeth, tie my shoes...amazing how many little muscles work towards all that! And be prepared to sleep on your back for awhile...ha! Good luck, and a speedy recovery:magic:

CrknJac
06-12-2008, 02:04 PM
Thanks everyone! Believe it or not, I was not even thinking about the actual Operating Room until one of my coworkers was telling me that you're not allowed to have on undergarments.....that's when I started to freak:blush: Imagine that at 31 years old...

MidnTPK
06-12-2008, 04:01 PM
There's been a recent discussion of this topic...here (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=125189&highlight=gall+bladder)

murphy1
06-12-2008, 04:09 PM
HI, I just had my second thyroid surgery, good luck, you will do fine and feel so much better after your choly. I agree, take the drugs!! That saved me, don't be afraid to ask the nurses for them either, they put them right in your IV.

d_m_n_n
06-12-2008, 05:30 PM
Not bad at all! One little piece of advice...

Colace :blush:

It will be a new best friend right after the surgery. Have some on hand so you don't have to send out for it late in the evening!

mrsgaribaldi
06-12-2008, 05:56 PM
I still have mine but my mother, sister and husband all had it removed. They all did great with no problems at all. Good luck. Sending you loads of fast healing :pixie::pixie::pixie:. Let us know how it goes please.

kakn7294
06-12-2008, 06:25 PM
Thanks everyone! Believe it or not, I was not even thinking about the actual Operating Room until one of my coworkers was telling me that you're not allowed to have on undergarments.....that's when I started to freak:blush: Imagine that at 31 years old...Yeah, the thoughts of that freak everyone out. I had to take mine off for my wisdom teeth when I was 21. What do teeth have to do with undies???

disneydeb
06-12-2008, 06:28 PM
If you are nauseous ask the nurse for smelling salts - one wiff is all it takes! I'm always nauseous after abdominal surgery.

and

I went home the next day!:thumbsup:

murphy1
06-12-2008, 07:48 PM
Just wait until they put the lovely TED anti-embolism hosiery on you! . They didn't do that last time I went in. You're not going to miss your underwear when you're in recovery LOL. I got into a little trouble b/c I took off the oxygen tube, the foot pumps at night, I hated all that stuff on me and then I put it all back on. I forgot to mention, my sister had her gall bladder out and has been fantastic since.

elmjimmlm
06-12-2008, 10:20 PM
I had mine done when my DS was 3 months old...It was an easy recovery...The after effects are what I cant stand...If anyone else that you know has had this done they will tell you what I am talking about...:blush:

r4kids
06-13-2008, 12:13 AM
DH has had several attacks but the hospital said it is only gall bladder sludge.:confused: There no stones. Surgery is an option if we choose to do it, he doesn't really want to. So my questions are, what were your symptoms? Did dairy, spicy food, fatty foods cause attacks? Thanks for the info we deal with this 3 or 4 times a week.

elmjimmlm
06-13-2008, 09:37 AM
So my questions are, what were your symptoms? Did dairy, spicy food, fatty foods cause attacks? Thanks for the info we deal with this 3 or 4 times a week.

My DS was born in Dec. and I had 11 attacks by the time I had my surgery in March...
Any food with a high fat content, acid or anything spicy would bring on an attack...I remember one that I had that was terrible was after I had eaten an egg...

Good luck...:)

CrknJac
06-13-2008, 11:06 AM
I was actually in Disneyworld when the attacks started in March. I went for a sono - no stones. I went for a HIDA scan - that came back 'boderline'. Then I went for an edoscopy to so my Dr. could get a bile sample - that came back with the definate 'get the gallbladder removed'. Funny enough, when the doc was doing the endoscopy, he found food in my stomach! So I had to go for a gastric emptying study and that came back abnorminal. So now, I don't know what is going to happen. The doc wants to do another endoscopy after I heal from the surgery....
BTW...it doesn't matter what I eat at this point, I have pain everyday.