Gallbladder removal

lukin

I was in hospital yesterday for a pre-assessment procedure for gallbladder removal. Just wondering how long before I will be called for the actual operation? I am getting it done in the Mercy Hospital Cork. If anyone reading has had it done. Thanks.

Kalimah

I had mine done in Dublin in 2019 about two weeks after the assessment. It was done as a day case. I was very nervous of the general anaesthetic but the staff were so nice I was totally reassured. Feel free to ask any more questions about it!

gipi

I had mine out last summer, about 2 weeks after the assessment, same as the previous poster.

My op was in the afternoon (although I'd been in the hospital from about 9.30am), so was kept overnight as I was quite groggy late into the evening.

All went well, I had over 200 gallstones in the gallbladder! I was a bit uncomfortable for a couple of weeks as the keyhole incisions healed, but all has been fine since.

Good luck!

When you say pre assessment do you mean you met with the surgeon to discuss what needed to be done and begin the process of booking you in for surgery?

Just in my experience there’s the consultation with the surgeon (who will decide if you need it or not) and then the pre assessment which happens a week or two before your scheduled date to brief you on the process, any anaesthesia they’ll use, healing, looking after post surgery etc.

obviously would make a difference if you’re public or private also, but what I will say, the HSE has cancelled all elective surgeries during the current wave they’re battling so I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120090382#Comment_120090382

I had swabs taken and filled in a questionnaire. I was weighed and measured. Bloods taken and an ECG analysis done. Met with a doctor afterwards then.

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120090580#Comment_120090580

Your usually in 10 + days after that's been done , did you not get a date

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120090580#Comment_120090580

What is strange is they didn’t give you a date? I recommend you contact the hospital and ask them, usually you’d be seen a week or two before surgery but it would have been scheduled.

I had to have a hernia repair last year I was given a date in October and a week or two before I had to attend the pre assessment clinic, it’s odd you don’t seem to have a date set at all? Maybe due to elective surgeries being postponed/cancelled, but still, strange they asked you to come in for pre assessment if that’s the case 😅

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120091112#Comment_120091112

I didn't expect to be told the date for the procedure on the day of the pre-assessment. I am happy in the knowledge that it will be done soon. I know now I have had the pre-assessment it won't be too long before I have the organ removed.

Reg'stoy

Just a word of warning, I had mine removed two years ago. The pain in my shoulders (a side effect of the gas used to inflate the space around your gall bladder) was unreal, have some strong pain killers and some heat pads ready just in case. Others may tell you to amend your diet post removal, I had a good diet but I couldn't beat family history and genetics. I have no real problems with food these days, I mind what I eat (I kinda did anyway) but you should have a consultation with a dietitian. I wasn't called back for post op checks, I was considered at little risk for complications, so hopefully you might not need to go back either. I had no problems with the small incision scars, the one under my sternum is the most noticeable.

As to your question, re time of OP, I went in via the ED in Beaumont and had mine out 6 weeks later after a 10 day stay in hospital.

Squatman

dont sweat the general anasthetic, its the coolest thing ever. you have a great sleep, wake up and its done.

Kalimah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120094171#Comment_120094171

I’d agree with that!

Kalimah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120094048#Comment_120094048

More or less the same here. I think I took painkillers for a day. No issues afterward with diet etc. The incision at my navel took longer to heal than the others - minor in the scheme of things.

Tony H

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058278967/gallbladder-removal

i had a pre assessment done in the mercy about 6 months ago for a gall bladder op and still no date , mine was a little different though as im having another op done at the same time , apparently the waiting list for gallbladder ops in Mallow is a lot quicker , what surgeon do you have , I have Criostoir O Sulleabhain and Shane Killeen , hope they get to you soon , Mercy is a great hospital

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120135376#Comment_120135376

Yeha Criostoir O Sulleabhain was the name of the doctor who referred me. That was on the 3 November 2021. It was a youngish female doctor who spoke to me after the pre-assessment the last day, I don't remember her name though. I was offered a pre-assessment 12 months ago but I had to turn it down because of work commitments. I wasn't going to turn it down this time. I got the gallbladder pain a couple of time in the last year or so but it went away after about half an hour. When I got it before I had to go to A&E and get morphine and all that craic and it would last for 24 hours in all.

I have adjusted my diet since and am taking a couple of Gaviscon tablets every day, I don't know if that is helping. I'd rather have the yoke taken out just to be on the safe side; the pain was unreal, I'd hate to go through that again. I don't mind waiting a while for it to be done, there are others in more urgent need of operations and they should be given priority.

The doc did tell me though that even when the gallbladder is removed there could be gallstone(s) stuck in the duct that goes into it so I don't know if that means I can still get the pain? Also can they remove any gallstones that are there during the op? I didn't think to ask the doc that at the time.

markmoto

Anyone with a gallbladder issue or no gallbladder please research into purified bile salt supplementation.

Nigel Fairservice

I had mine out in 2017 at the South Infirmary. I can't remember exactly how long is was between the pre assessment procedure and the surgery but it wasn't too long. Thankfully the procedure went well and I didn't have any soreness or anything like that after the surgery or since. I was back to work (office) the day after the surgery. I was so glad it was out after a year of misery.

lukin

Got the call on Friday; I am getting it removed this Tuesday but I have to go in for a pre-assessment on Monday. But I did one of them already on the 1st January. My sister said to me they must have made a mistake; it doesn't seem right to be called for another one.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120135922#Comment_120135922

I had been in hospital for a couple of weeks with acute pancreatitis last year (I am 41, it's not diet related, barely drink - they looked for a long time, tests etc all they came up with was small amount of sludge), home for about a month then back in for a day procedure to get gallbladder out.

The op was no big deal at all. All ok for about 6 months.

But unfortunately I was back in hospital with pancreatitis again last week. In for about 4 days.

They did a whole tonne of tests, scans etc. They cannot figure out the cause, load of pain killers and fluids, now back home, I am going in for some genetic tests in about 6 weeks.

So just be aware if you get your gallbladder out it might not fix everything.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120290939#Comment_120290939

The hospital did not make a mistake they need to check vitals, do a covid swab (might not anymore though) and you’ll speak with the anaesthetist.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120090580#Comment_120090580

Yeah that’s a pre consultation you had.

Pre assessment is different 😅 I hope you did not miss your appointment anyway or discussed with the hosp because I missed one of those apps before and my surgery was immediately cancelled.. trust me.. don’t miss!!

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120294693#Comment_120294693

Yeah you are right, I rang before I left today to make sure :)

lukin

It's done anyway; had the op Tuesday last week and got discharged yesterday. Back at work today. They weren't able to do it by keyhole because my organs were squished in too close to one another. So they had to open me up and that meant they had to keep me in a bit longer after. I was fasting from the Monday night before the op to the Wednesday evening after it but I got a bad dose of the runs on Thursday. I was starving on Wed evening so I ate a few Maltesers that I got from a vending machine. Then I ate a small easy peeler orange later. For the second half of Thursday and all Thursday night I had the runs and a terrible pain in my bowels. It eased on Friday eventually.

What I ate probably caused it but I asked for a cup of tea on Wednesday evening a few times and I never got it. If I had got the cup of tea I would not have eaten that other stuff. Probably my own fault all the same though.

I am grand now, still obviously a bit sensitive where I was opened. Very happy with how I was looked after. I suffered a bit alright but I knew that was coming. The tube up my nose was the worst part and the trouble I had on the Thursday. I have to go back in in a couple of weeks time for a check-up, that's all.

Good to hear it all went well and you’re starting to feel better. No surprise the sugary & acidic food sent your stomach into reverse though!

At least it wasn’t followed on with a gallbladder attack!! Best of luck for the future OP!

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120329727#Comment_120329727

Thanks. My relationship with Maltesers will never be the same again after this though I think 😀

lukin

One thing that I just want to mention is that I got a rash from the sticking plaster that was on the incision. When I left the hospital I was given a few spare plasters. When I had them all used I bought some from my pharmacy. But my skin underneath the sticking part got all red and sore (dermatitis I think it is called) . I don't know if that was because I used a different plaster. From then on I cut off the sticky part of the plaster and just left the padded part. I then put strips of elastoplast on that to hold it on my skin (so there was not a lot of sticking plaster coming into contact with my skin).

I also got a cream from the pharmacy for dermatitis. The soreness and redness is gone now. Besides that I notice even a small amount of physical work wears me out. I washed the car this morning and had to lie down for a few hours afterwards as I was exhausted.

I was back at work the day after I was discharged; I work in IT (from home) so that made it possible.

AliceN

Had mine out 6 months ago. The first two days I experienced shoulder pain, but Tylenol worked well for me (fortunately, I ordered it from the Canadian Pharmacy in advance). The abdomen was sore as well as the small incision sites. In general, I was off work for 3 weeks because I work a busy unit but I felt better in about a week. Now I have some food issues, but I've learned to eat small meals and limit fatty or really sugary things.

AvalonEnaid

I suggest you prep your bed now as you will not be able to sleep on your back at first. You'll need to prepare it so that you can relax your head but still be sitting in a slightly reclined position.

After the operation you're going to feel "bloated", this is because of the gas they pump into you to inflate your chest cavity + abdomen so that they can operate easier.

The gas that is pumped into your body pushes your chest cavity upwards which then presses against your shoulder. This ends up pinching a phrenic nerve ending which is painful as all hell. That was by far the worst pain, everything else was just discomfort.

Simply cross your arms above your head when you feel the pain coming. It'll stop your phrenic nerve from pinching!

You probably already know this but stick to super light foods with no spices etc.. etc.. for the first couple of days. To be honest you wont be feeling super hungry, I subsisted on toasted white bread only :)

If you're bothered by the scars then I recommend bio-oil, apply it liberally and often.

After the 4th day you'll be fairly mobile albeit walking like an old man

lukin

I am getting better every day, I have taken the dressing off the wound, I don't wear it anymore. The incision was 5 inches long; from the top of my rib cage down to just below my navel. It was fairly itchy for a while but not so bad now. I have a noticeable scar, maybe it might heal a bit after time and won't look so bad.

If he had stopped just above my navel it wouldn't look so bad but he had to do what he had to do I suppose.

Fiona

Hi folks

Just wondering how all of you are getting on post op?

Has anybody been taking bile salts to help with digestion?

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121015069#Comment_121015069

I am grand thanks, the scar has healed a good bit, my chest hair has grown back so it covers it up almost completely 😀. I have had no problems with digestion. I did have a bit of discomfort in my chest for a while after the op after I had a big meal but that was just my body getting used to not having a gallbladder anymore. I am back to the way I was before the op more or less.

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121016406#Comment_121016406

Ah that's positive to hear! I was due to get mine out today but last week all flared up and I got a blockage. A waiting on another MRCP MRI before surgery can proceed to see if blockage has resolved itself.

I am reading so much conflicting info you can't do this, you can't do that but then so many people are like I am able to eat what I want!

Tefral

I cant eat Red Meat burgers or have "full fat" lattes since ive had mine out. Probably just as well.

Fiona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121017236#Comment_121017236

Have you tried any digestive enzymes to see does it help with the red meat?

Steak is my fav meat so have purchased Solgar digestive enzymes, they appear to be only ones with Ox Bile which according to Dr Google is the best bile supplement post GB removal.

lmfh123

Just wondering if anyone got gallbladder removal in TUH and how long can I expect to be waiting on urgent list ?

whosedaddy?

had a pre-assessment meeting yesterday (follow on from hospitalisation few weeks after arriving in mater ED with acute attack).

long of the short, i told them I'm not ready for op. 6-8 weeks waiting once on the list.

i just didnt feel informed enough. So they proceeded to tell the a range of medical facts, whilst not engaging with any of my views or concerns.

Removing the gallbladder has no effect on my lifestyle or diet. fact, dont listen to other ppls hearsay.

You had one attack , you are by definition at higher risk to have another worse attack (and you will be back). But no explanation why the risk is higher.

and a few other...

So even if i had been open for surgery at this stage i decided they are not the ppl i want to operate on me.

On the way out they handed me a brochure about keyhole and it alks about treatment options and the need to discuss them.. only i wasn't told of any treatment options (and why they may not apply)...

Could anyone with positive experience in Dublin PM me please?

I may go private, and pay extra to be told the same thing, but sugar coated and with cherry on top. they may even pretended my concerns mattered.

But feeling to be involved in my own health is important to me.. not sure whether i actually am :-)

Once it's out, i can't put it back in..

Tefral

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121379938#Comment_121379938

Having had mine out. I did have two attacks, the first time i didnt know what it was, but despite being in excrutiating pain for 2 days, i eventually shrugged it off. about a month later i had another attack. worse this time, couldnt even stand up, after 3 days in pain I went to my doc, spend 3 days in hospital and then had it out. all happened so fast. The reason I had another attack is the Gall Stones merged into a golf ball size one. Obvously that cant be passed and it got inflamed. This is common. If you have an attack, basically you do need it out as the attack is the stone trying to be forced out and it cannot.

There is no impact to Lifestyle, but there defintely was an impact on my diet. I have had to cut out full fat dairy and burgers. After that all good and i havent looked back. 10 months on from my op and i can bearly see my scars from the keyhole.

The only reason why they wouldnt do keyhole is if the surgery becomes massively complicated to remove it. Then you would end up with a roughly 4 inch scar on your front.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121379938#Comment_121379938

please don’t take this the wrong way but even had the surgeon explained in striking detail the procedure and et all would you even have understood him/her?

You’re not medically trained and I’m sorry to say your post comes across very arrogant. “They’re not the people I want to operate on me”…. what??

It’s a simple day procedure that I only imagine the surgical team has carried out 100’s of times a week! You’re not on the books for Open Heart surgery in fairness.

What you were told is what you needed to be told. Why does it matter what medical reason there is for attacks becoming more frequent after the initial? Like seriously, why does it?

It sounds to me like you’re a nervous patient looking for excuses to delay the operation, but I can promise you the pain you will experience and the frequency it will happen as time passes will make you regret these types of decisions I think.

I really hope I haven’t come across the wrong way here but I can’t lie it really rubs me the wrong way that you refused the surgery for stupid reasons like the above. My partner started suffering with gallbladder symptoms while pregnant so couldn’t be operated on and all in all between waiting for pregnancy and birth to be finished, the recovery after, etc etc she was waiting almost 18 months.

The reason why the attacks became more frequent wasn’t much of a concern when you were spending nearly every week in hospital on painkiller IV drips..

whosedaddy?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121380004#Comment_121380004

no offence taken.

But you know nothing about me and my abilities to understand detailed medical information.

I'm not a nervous patient, but I'd rather be comfortable with my decision. Since when is there something wrong with looking for a second opinion. instead of what felt like being railroaded into it (and that was how I felt during the appointment, very subjective)

I' m not declining the operation, it is inevitable, but i feel not being informed enough to be at ease with it.

If i had posted similar experience about walking away from a builder that i wasnt prepared to deal with in DIY forum, I wonder would I have been labeled the same way?

Pretzill

I am on a waiting list for gallbladder removal - I have had a few flareups the most recent one landed me in hospital for two weeks, seriously ill, with a bad infection. It is unlikely I will be operated on this year, as the list is so long in my area - I am a public patient another attack could be extremely serious - can I take your place?

FurrySlippers

So, had the OP 2 weeks ago, and staples out today. Still a bit of weeping from the wound (open surgery, not "keyhole" ), so, while there pretty much no pain after about 4 days, I am now just dealing with wound healing. Which I forgot how slow it was.

Generally, strength was very good before, so I am basically "better than I really am". So have to force myself to do nothing for the sake of the wound healing process.

Food seems fine. Ate light for first few days, now eating normal with no issues.

CoBo55

Just after being discharged from hospital after suffering a terrible attack the pain was absolutely horrendous. It was badly infected and I was given a lot of IV antibiotics. When I got home a lump appeared on the ball of my foot which is gout, which, with steroids and gout medication is now on the mend. I'm taking it very easy on what I eat but have terrible diarrhea the last three days. I'm hoping it's because the digestive system lost good bacteria and it will balance out in time but I can't leave the house it's that bad. Could it be the gout medication? I'm due to get the gallbladder removed in 6 weeks.

Tony H

Just an update , waiting for a few years for my removal , had a protectomy (BarbieButt)5 weeks ago and just got an appointment for surgery for the 24th July ,

Just like buses none for ages and then they all turn up , anyway hopefully it will be trouble free like my last surgery .