Since when is 28 "too young" for gallbladder surgery?

Okay, I could really use some advice from somebody who knows about gallstones and gall bladder surgery FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. Or if someone here happens to be a doctor. I really need an informed opinion.

Back story: I was just diagnosed with gallstones two weeks ago, but I have been suffering from very painful gall bladder attacks for over 2 ½ years. I know this for a fact because I wrote about my very first ambulance ride in my journal back in September 2006, during which I was experiencing the exact same symptoms that led to my diagnosis. Since then I have gone to the ER on several occasions to get a shot of Dilautid or whatever for the pain. The frequency of attacks, up until recently, has been once every 2 - 4 months. In this past month alone, I have had THREE attacks, so it appears they are increasing in frequency.

Present scenario: My mom just passed away the other day, so now my aunt and uncle are helping me get things in order. As soon as my aunt found out I have gallstones, she started badgering me with her “informed” opinions. She works as a physical therapist for Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles, so naturally she has a better understanding of certain things. The problem is, she seems to think she knows a lot about the medical field - a lot more than she should, given her degree of training. More than the doctor who diagnosed me, anyway.

How so? Well, she seems to think that at 28 years old I am too young to have my gallbladder removed, that the gallbladder serves an important function, and that without it things will be more difficult for me than they are now. I have been researching gallstones online for the past two weeks (and I mean a lot of research, on several different websites) and what she said is completely contradictory to everything I have read so far:

1. I am NOT too young, as there have been teens on these forums who have had their gall bladders removed safely and successfully, 2. the gall bladder is NOT that important. It merely stores the extra bile, and 3. I have a 42-year-old friend who just had hers removed a few months ago, and she's eating what she wants (most of the time) and living a completely normal life.

So... please tell me that my aunt does NOT know more than all of these medical websites (especially WebMD and Mayo Clinic) and countless gallstone sufferers on forums such as these. I told her what the ER doc told me, that I would need to have my gall bladder removed, but she says her friend, who is merely a dietician, says that as long as I avoid fatty foods and all this other junk, I will be fine. So… a physical therapist and a dietician know MORE about gallstones than an actual medical doctor working in a hospital emergency room? Yeah, right.

So all I have to do is cut most of the fat from my diet and I’ll be just fine? My gallstones will magically stop causing me pain for the rest of my life? Whereas if I opt for surgery, I’ll be worse off than I was WITH the agonizing bouts of pain and I’ll never be able to live a normal, happy life without my precious gallbladder?

Nearly every website I have read on the subject endorses surgery over other treatments, and says clearly that untreated gallstones can lead to serious complications and even death. A low-fat diet does not generally count as treatment, but rather a “preventative measure,” correct? Please help set me straight on this whole issue.

[HollyDontSpend]

I had my gallbladder removed when I was 29 (just 3 months after my 28th birthday) and life is pretty good. I was never told by my surgeon or my doctor that I was too young. In fact, they told me that I could keep it if I wanted and possibly land myself in the ER and have emergency surgery one day or just get it done then. I chose the latter and haven't felt the need for a gallbladder and my body has adjusted accordingly.  Both my doctor and surgeon told me that it would take my body some time to adjust to digesting fats (because the gallbladder excretes bile to help digest foods) and that my liver might overcompensate causing some diarrea (diarrhea) for a while until it figures out the formula. I was told that some people's bodies never quite get it right, while the majority of people's bodies adjust.
After the surgery, I did have diarrea (diarrhea) from any food I ate with just a smidge of fat for about 2 months. I just knew that if I was going to eat some chips or something to make sure that there would be a bathroom nearby. I am not one to skip a meal so I ate a lot of non fat foods and never suffered from being hungry. I actually lost 20lbs over the course of the year afterwards because I wasn't eating the fatty foods that caused my gallbladder attacks in the first place.  It's actually been a great year! No more gas! No more bloating! No more gallbladder attacks (although no more fried chicken either.....I do miss it terribly!)!  
I know how you feel about talking to your aunt about the gallbladder stuff. Where I worked, everyone felt like they were the "expert" on gallbladders and I found that their hearts were in the right place, but that ulitimately it was my decision and I was not about to just wait around for the next attack. Good luck!

[Matthew007]

yeah she's wrong.. I had mine out in 2007 and i'm 31 now so...umm yeah math this late is not a good idea..29 as well.  I've heard of people MUUuuuuuuch younger than that age.  I had an ultrasound from a girl that seriously looked like miss california she had to be no older than like..21 and she had hers removed.


The natural route of trying to avoid this can work.. but it's also scary..i've heard simple remedies is to totally avoid any fats period..avoid oily foods as well since they make the liver work, so fats and oils avoid.  Plenty of water and apple juice is what some people swear by.  Now to get a stone to pass on it's own, you can google the remedy for a liver clense..I don't remember what it is but it's something like olive oil with lemon juice or vinegar..something nasty and then you need to be near a bathroom after you do it.  The only bad part is if you get a stone stuck you're in an abulance again.. but it will squeeze the gallbladder and it will clean out... but at your own risk (i was too scared to do it..besides I didn't have any stones) but just google gallstone liver cleanse diet or something like that and you'll find it.

You can try to avoid the surgery, my cousin had gallstones and she went super healthy diet and now she has no problems so it is possible.  Just got to give your digestive/liver/gallbladder a total break and flush.... I had a HIDA scan that showed 12% ejection and I thought that was the cause of all my problems (turned out it wasn't) but the surgery wasn't THAT bad.. not having long term problems from it as far as I know just it was a bad hit to the wallet without insurance.  The main thing you'll have to watch for is eating super greasy fatty foods just like holly just said...but forcing yourself to eat healthy compared to having a gallbladder attack - I'd follow the doctor's advice but i'd want it out of there.  Plus you could start raising your liver blood levels and start having other problems (daily nausea.. pain ect.) so tough call.. but no way you're not too young.  Least you know what the problem is.

Good luck on your choice..and if you do a cleanse be careful.

[Matthew007]

oh and to make you feel better.. i'm still dealing with food intolerance problems and nausea but i've had zero side effects as far as I can tell from my surgery.. I was back to work (VERY SORE..) but back to work like 5 days later.. looked like I got into a knife fight but it's a common surgery.. and no you don't need your gallbladder to live a full life but to save you $$ and maybe future problems and side effects you can try that cleanse like I said.

[Matthew007]

not saying you're wrong holly his aunt :) just to cover my base..good post.

[coggys]

It was not me who had gall bladder removed but my 20yr old daughter had hers removed Nov 08, so you are definately not too young.