Gall Bladder Surgery?

[DickGB]

I'm a 32 year old white male and have a family history of GB problems Mom, sister, and Grandparents on mothers side.  About 6-7 years ago I started to have pain under the right rib cage and everytime I ate I experienced bloating and belching which decreased my appetite.  Went to Gastro specialists which order an ultrasound and upper GI both came back negative.  After may pain continued he order a lower GI and a sig both came back negative.  He said it is probably nothing serious maybe IBS and sent me on my way.  After a steady diet of things like mashed potatoes, rice, cereal, etc. pain eventually diminished but continues to re-occur.  I may go a few months where it's not very bad then a month were it really bothers me.  I recently moved and explained this to my new doctor.  He sent me for an ultrasound and Hida scan.  Ultrasound was normal, but Hida showed ejection fraction of 12 pct.  My Dr sent me to a surgeon who did not seemed convinced that it was my GB and sent me for upper GI series since it's been 6-7 years.  He said if it comes back negative that it would be up to me if I wanted my GB out but it may not help.  Should I have my GB taken out?  Given my family history and by the way none of my family had gallstones just abnormal Hida scan.  I'm afraid if I don't take it out I will always wonder if this common surgery could have relieved by discomfort.  In the same respect the surgeon said it might not help and their could be complications and I have read horror stories about GB removals and complications afterwards.  What is your opinion?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

There are some small studies showing that a low GB ejection fraction can lead to the symptoms you are describing.  In some cases, removing the gallbladder leads to a resolution of symptoms.  

As with any surgery, there are the chances of complications - including bleeding, infection, and bile duct performation.  There is also the possibility of the surgery not relieving the pain.

These options and considerations would have to be discussed with your personal physician or surgeon.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
http://www.straightfromthedoc.com

[DickGB]

I would also like to add the pain is fairly persisent but seems worst after meals.  I did not really notice siginicant reaction during the Hida scan but again the pain is persisent and sometimes goes to my back.  Also, in my sister case both her ultrasound and Hida scan came back negative but after nausea and weight loss surgeon took out GB.  The surgeon commented afterwards that it was one the worst looking GB he had ever seen especially for a 21 year old.

[vjj65]

DickGB, I wish you the very best.  This sounds somewhat similar to what I am experiencing.  Although, I've had a number of other symptoms.  I asked my GI about the possibility of laproscopic exploratory surgery.  He said, "bad idea."  Meanwhile, I sit here a stress case.  I hope whatever decision you make works out for you.  By the way, my hidascan results came back perfectly normal when the doctor initially thought that was the problem.  I am going to discuss with him the possibility of this being a gallbladder problem.

[burpmaestro]

Though I'm not a doctor, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night :-), my GB study came back 90% plugged so I elected to have it removed.  Though it eliminated the constant pain in the GB area, I still have occasional pain [like I'm still passing an occasional stone or something], and the surgery did not solve my chronic belching problem at all.  I have always felt that more information is always helpful so I wanted to share mine with you.  Hope it helps and good luck.

[eeyore2]

In July of this year, I had to have my tubes tied, and a short week later, I got rushed in to the hospital, and later that day they were taking my gullbladder (gallbladder) out. Now the funny thing is, is in the beggining of all of this, they told me that I would still have my monthly. Slight problem, a friend of mine hemeoraged for no reason, and she still doesn't feel right after, but I'm scared. According to what the dr. said in the er room, it was all because her uterius was swelled, if that is the case, and the surgeries that I had didn't mess any of that function up, then I should be expecting to hemorage? She is not on any meds, and we were both on the depo shot, and got off, but the drs cannot give me a straight answer. I need one, and I don't want to go threw what she did, it was bad....

[eeyore2]

Also, with a gull bladder, with mine it felt like I was having an anxitey attack, and ran a marithon. My dr. told me that it is very difficult to determine if it is a heart attact or actually has to do with the gull bladder.  My gull bladder was 48.5% shut down, and 4 stones the size of .5o cent pieces, that were infected.  I had a wonderful time in the hospital, and the only complication that I have had besides the other, is that I have to watch the really greasy foods.  Without a gullbladder (gallbladder), your body has nonthing to basically strain it threw, but the good outcome is that I have now forced myself to eat a much healthier diet.  I still eat the pizza, etc. but the chicken has to be grilled on a grease griller.

[Chris needs relief]

ive recently spoke with my doctor about my Hida scan results and discovered that i have a weak contracting gallbladder and its not producing enough bile or something to break down the foods i eat and its causing severe pains all over my abdomen and shooting pains going all the way through my right shoulder to my neck and it hurts when i try to take deep breaths. fortunetly ever since my doctor gave me nexium these pains have been sort of minimal but become severe when i exercise.
Ive been doing alot of research on the internet about gallbladder problems but all i find is articles and forums about gallstones i dont have gallstones and all this talk about urgent bowel movements scares me. i enjoy exercising and lifting weights, the past couple of months i havent been able to do cardio at the intensity or duration that i enjoy without cramping up 5 minutes into it and if i lift weights im gonna need to eat more but eating hurts even low fat meals even small meals ive been consistently exercising for the last year or so and no problems until just recently and its very frustrating to have to cut back on something that i enjoy so much.
  im suppose to talk to a GI specialist soon but im wondering if getting my gallbladder removed is best and if it is removed will i be able to return to doing my cardio the way i want to OR should i just live with the pain and take Nexium for the rest of my life minus the urgent bowel movements. im only 24y.o and this pisses me off so much because its limiting the things i do in my daily life and im constantly thinking about my pain all day long and i cant relax and enjoy my life im so stressed and frustrated all the time.

[66186618]

Hi, It seems most posts here is not successful case. Why don't we try to find some successful stories to enxouge ourselves? somethime Dr. don't want to tell us all the thing - especially the risk and the failed stroies. you tell out the truth. Do believe that most cases was successful or the surgery would not be allowed by FDA and government. The most inportant thing I think is to find out what happened to our body before make next step. So the necessary medical check are must. Don't do anyting harmful to our body before the Dr. make clear what happened to ourselfves.

some experience of mine: B ultrasound check found only one stone in my GB but MRI found more 4 stone there. ERCP took out one from my bile duct. I thinks all these operation is necessary for my problem.

[michelle0912]

I am a 27yr old female.  I have a 3yr old daughter.
  
In my family there are about 7 women that have all had their gall bladder removed due to biliary dyskinesia.  Biliary dyskinesia is when there are no gall stones but the gall bladder does not empty properly which causes the painful attacks.

About 10yrs ago in high school, I had a fever & horrible pains under my right rib cage.  I went to the er & the dr told me that i had "sludge" in my gall bladder & he restricted my diet.  I was a good girl for a while, but then eventually I strayed off of the restricted diet.

Over the last year or so, I would occasionally get this horrible pain under my right rib cage, wrapping around to my right shoulder & back.  I figured, I must be stressed or maybe it is muscle pain from the car accident I had in Oct 2004.  The pain became more frequent.  I went for routine blood work in Sept 2005 which revealed an elevated white blood cell count.  I went for repeat bloodwork which also revealed elevated white blood cell count.  Meanwhile, the pains were increasing.

I went for an ultrasound which revealed that my gall bladder wall was "borderline protruding", I do not have ANY stones. Then I went for a HIDA scan which revealed my gall bladder has a 17% ejection fraction.  The HIDA scan itself was painless, but the CCK that they give you to contract the gall bladder made me have a gall bladder attack!  The attack only lasted about 10 minutes.  When I told my surgeon, she told me it is very common for someone with a "poor functioning gall bladder" to have an attack when the CCk is given during the HIDA scan.  Because the CCk contracts the gall bladder, so basically your body thinks the cck is like a greasy cheeseburger.  So with that said, the doctor called me last night with the results..
my gall bladder is only functioning 17%, and my dr suggested a laproscopic surgery.

Even though almost all of the women in my family have had this surgery & recovered well within a few days & live normal lives, I AM SCARED!!!  I have a 3yr daughter and she needs me & I just get paranoid about the whole "surgery" thing.  I know it is a simple procedure & there are over 700,000 of them performed each year in the US... but then I look it up on the internet, there are so many stories.. and they scare the **** out of you!!  But my gall bladder is not properly functioning & it needs to come out, the gall bladder will not get better.  So with that said, I guess I will call & schedule the surgery.  Any advice anyone has would be appreciated.
Almost all of th

[GodLikeMouse]

I'm 30 years old and was diagnosed with Acid Reflux as the main cause of my distress and was treated for Acid Reflux for over 2 years before they realized my Gull Bladder was full of stones.  Once that was removed I instantly felt better, at least from the pain that the Gull Bladder was causing me, but I instantly developed IBS afterward.  Now, I deal with Acid Reflux by using Prevacid, but have nothing to deal with the IBS.  I hate taking drugs as it is and really don't want to take anything else.  I've talked to many people who have had the Gull Bladder removal surgery and they have all said the same thing.  After the Gull Bladder was removed, they developed IBS.  Looks like I traded one problem for another, but I'd much rather have IBS than the Gull Bladder problems.  How many of you here have IBS as a result of Gull Bladder removal?

[NickyIsHere123]

Hi, I am a 31 year old feamle and I have been diagnosed with gallbladder dyskinsia. My fraction was 17.2% and two surgeons recommended it be removed. However, I have opted out of the surgery for now. With this condition it is crucial that you make sure you have other areas checked out FIRST before going into suregery as later you may discover your symptoms are still there and the whole HIDE scan test was influenced by a hormone imbalance or drug of some kind. Both surgeons were quick to say "remove" it, and this is why I have made it a point to post here. I would also like to comment that gallbladder dyskinsea is not fully understood by the medical field, and with this, they assume that removal is the best treatment. Lets say that I have cysts on my overies or a hormonal imbalance going on in my body. I don't know I have cysts and neither does the GI doc. So he looks at the symptoms and runs the HIDE scan. He then say "Take it out".... What if the hormonal imbalance is causing the gallbladder not to contract or function normally? What if I have the surgery and live w/ new pain and discomfort and the REAL underlying problem was never treated? This happens all the time. Just make sure you check your WHOLE body out before making this choice. Another thing is that choline and other natural substances can help regulate this condition. Good Luck

[terry1974]

i am 31 years old and i have a gall bladder fraction of 5% and it all started when i went to get checked for heartburn.now i have had a sorry throat for 2 months and and my alt count is a 76 and the have taken blood about 4 times and i have had alot of headaches and been to ent doctor and he thinks i have a allergy problem. but the gastro doctor is traring me for a stomach bacteria that i cannot even pronounce. i am just tired of being sick to my stomach and tired of a sore throat. has anybody had these problems

[KarenZ]

I would imagine that all of you have checked out the other topic and postings here about gallbladder issues. I for one had immediate problems after my gallbladder was removed. I also had a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time. It relieved the GERD completely, but 15 months down the road and the belching is back after I eat with slight reflux if I eat too much.
Making the decision for surgery was a relief for me. If I knew I'd have to deal with these problems (see my response to the previous post on gallbladders)I'd have been very afraid. To say I am disappointed is mild, but what could I do? My gallbladder was full of stones and my scan revealed that my gallbladder wasn't functioning.
Good luck to you. I hope that everything turns out well for you. I should also mention that an acquantence of mine had the same two surgeries I had around the same time and has felt well ever since. Go figure???

[a15yrold]

i think i set the record for the youngest person to have gallstones. im 15 and i had pain under my ribs. then it went a way for 1 month and then came back later. I went to take a ultrascan and they said i did have gallstones and i had to go remove my gallbladder. So, i went and found out there was a gallstone stuck down my bile duck or some thing. And had two sugerys within 4 hrs! im doing ok but my stiches hurt alot. Sometimes i feel uhuhuhuhuh blahhhhh u know like nausiated. and thats about it i hope i recover soon.

[michelle0912]

I had my gall bladder removed laproscopically Nov 17th.. and I am so glad I did.. I am still sore at the incision site where they actually sucked the gall bladder out (there are stitches on the inside).. and they are adhering to my insides which is causing the discomfort.  After the surgery I had a small problem when I would eat anything with even the littlest bit of fat, and I would run to the bathroom.  So the dr put me on cholestrymine to bind the intestines (it is just powder).. that helped so much.  Over the last 3 weeks I have maintained a very low fat diet & I lost 13lbs so far.  I am glad I did it..

[WhatNext!]

I had my GB out(lap)and during the procedure,the intraoperative cholangiogram, showed my CBD was obstructed, had an ERCP with Sphincterotomy 4 days later. Don't regret any of it.

[WhatNext!]

I had my GB out(lap)and during the procedure,the intraoperative cholangiogram, showed my CBD was obstructed, had an ERCP with Sphincterotomy 4 days later. Don't regret any of it.

[sidesticker]

I'm so glad I found this site!  I am going for a hida scan tomorrow because of the chronic recurring pain in my right side just around the rib area.  5 years ago I was told my gallbladder can come out due to the results of the hida scan then, but it will not relieve the symptoms.  I chose to live with the inconvenience.  After 5 years of dealing with this pain, I want my GB out!  No more spasms simply because I chose to garden and be bent over too long, no more inability to workout because it aggravates the GB causing another spasm.  Having had IBS and the living with the GB, I'll take the IBS, at least I pretty much know when and what will set it off.  My GB is so unpredictable I having been nursing it for far too long, with eliminating this food, and then the next food, and then the next. I am down to eating pancakes and water!!  And then only to find that now in addition to the pain in my side which hurts even more when I eat rich foods, I now have nausea on top of it all.  I have had the pleasure of nausea for a month and a half.  I know surgery is dangerous and poses risks, but I have been in my own pergatory trying to deal with my GB in my quest to "live with it".

[Va33]

I just had my GB removed. I thought I was having a heart attach. I wanted to call an ambulance the pain was so bad. I drove myself to the hospital @ 3 in the morning. I ran every red light getting there. The Doc. never told me about any side affects. She acted like the operation was no big deal and I could return to work when ever. I am still sore from the incisions and my belly button is protruding. Is this normal?

[Nancy Bee]

I have a daughter that is 17 and she has had major pain in the upper and lower digestive tract.  We have been going back and forth to Gastro doctors and have had every test you can think of.  So far, the only test that has come back with any problems is the hida scan and it was recommended that she have the surgery.  She did and the pain has gotten worse.  She has missed all but 2 months of school last year and I had to keep her back so that her grades would be good for college.  We are a loss as to what it could be.  Symptoms are: adominal (abdominal) pain, nausea sometimes, vomiting sometimes, chest pain, back pain and pressure, diahearra and sometimes constipation...HELP as we both feel like crying.  She has to go back to school soon and we are no closer to finding out what could be the problem.  We have had upper and lower GI's, heart checkup and monitors, blood work and still no definite answers.