Urgently Deciding Whether to Remove Gallbladder

[Eric92]

My 66 year old mother is in the hospital with severe pain standing before the very pressing decision to remove her gall bladder or not.   The pain has been around 24 hours and she needed IV pain meds to control it.  The ultrasound testing apparantly shows inflammation of the GB and some stones, diagnosed as acute cholesystitis.  Her personal MD and the surgeon are recommending GB removal.   She has had GB attacks in the past few years, but this is the worst one.

My mother is very conservative/alternative when it comes to her health and also visits a homeopath MD in parallel to her other doctors.   The homeopath is the lone voice who has advised against the surgery, saying the GB is needed for healthy digestion and there are alternative (e.g. diet and homeopathy) ways of controlling the GB attacks.  This prompted me to hit the internet where I found this site.    The testimonials I have read about the GB removal post op complications and chronic severe diarrhea that can (do?) result have really caused me to be concerned about the GB removal.  This was certainly not disclosed to my mom by her surgeon/MD.

So what can my mom do?
1. Can she control the pain from the attack with pain killers until it subsides and then start the homeopathic/dietary treatments?
2. Is there risk of GB rupture or other worse complications if she chooses not to pursue surgery?
3. If there supposedly is a gallstone in the GB causing blockage, will it, can it ever go away? (does it dissolve?)
4. Is removal of the gallstone, but not the gall bladder even an option in this situation?
5. Should we demand treatment alternatives to GB removal or accept the surgery as necessary?
Help! any advice is sincerely appreciated.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

To answer your questions:
1) The homeopathic method does have data to support it.  If the pain resolves from this attack, it is likely to return since there are gallstones present.

2) There is always the risk of complications with surgery.  Without surgery, there is the possibility of recurrence - and may present with GB rupture.

3) Removal of the gallstone (if in the bile duct) with an ERCP can be considered, depending on the location.  However, in cases like this, removing the gallbladder may be necessary.

4) It would depend on the location of the gallstone.

5) If you are not sure about the treatment course, you can always consider another surgical opinion.

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.
kevinmd_

[star queen]

Have the gall bladder out.  I had gallbladder attacks and ignored them.  I just knew they would go away or dissolve on their own.  They never do.  They won't go away, they just get worse.  The gall bladder will only stretch so far before it just bursts.  Or if you are really unlucky, it will get a hole and just leak out.  Bile in the abdomen can act like an acid and destroy the intestines, and then you die.  I waited too long and mine sprung a leak and bile was filling my abdomen.  It was actually pleasant. The pain was abating and I felt fine, almost pain free for a change.  I was lucky that it happened at the hospital during a CT exam. My doctor said I would have been dead in an hour or so. I was in surgery and cut open within 30 minutes.  I almost died from it. If I had not been having a CT  exam where the tech noticed something was wrong, I would have just dropped dead.  As it was, there was an extended recovery and one hell of an infection to ward off.  My scar surrounds my body and isn't very pretty. Take her to the hospital and don't put it off for another minute.

[Lookingforamiracle]

As I agree that there are times that the gallbladder needs to be removed...they, "the doctors" don't share the Pain you will probably deal with  years afterward...I personally know 4 of us that suffer from tremendous pain (years later from the removal) of mysterious pain, quite like a gallbladder attack, only with sometimes worse symptoms....I'm not saying this to discourage you, I simply want you to know that this is not an "easy fix" as the medical field would like you to believe...please read more on post gallbladder symptoms, just in this web site, it is unbelievable to amount of suffering that some of us are enduring, after what we thought would be the end of it. Wishing you the very best, as well as a miracle.

[caitycatherine]

I had mine out 11 years ago.

Best day of my life.

I am a raw-foodist, organic only eater, and totally believe in homeopathic meds, but with the GB, it was so horrible and really if there are already stones, they are going to cause more attacks.

Have her get it taken out.

I never had lingering pain once I was healed-up from it.  I had the scope surgery and was out of bed doing normal active stuff 1 week later.  Was able to eat pizza 1 month later for the first time in 4 years.  (I wasn't raw at the time!!)

It's up to her, but I truly believe she will be glad if she gets this done.  I felt better immediately.

Best of luck to you and your family on this!