Hi, have found out that I need my gallbladder removed because of gall stones. I really wanted the operation done by keyhole surgery but it's now looking more likely that I'll have to be opened up! I am waiting for a CT scan to confirm this.

Everyone I've spoken to has had the op by keyhole and just wandered if anyone on here has had the other operation. I'm not looking forward to this op anyway but the thought of being out of action for weeks is making me more stressed!!

Any advice would be great.

Thanks

Sharon

No advice but i have been diagnosed with Gall stones since Jan this year. Since the from the doctors advice until i was given an MRI i was told to eat low fat food.
I have had NO symptoms since and have lost 3 stone and i have decided all be it against the doctors advice as my gall bladder is inflamed and shrunk (not sure how it can be both) to try the medicated way first. Tablets to break down the stones. He doesn't think it will work so wants to operate but my look on it is, i have managed my symptoms since the diagnosis, i have lost weight and feel great and have changed the way i eat, the problem is on the few occasions i would like to go out i struggle so if i can have the stones removed and manage my diet i don't see a problem.

No advice on the surgery but the surgeon will only decide to do an open gall bladder removal if they think it's necessary so not really much you can do I'm afraid.

How come he says you can't have key hole.  My daughter had it done not so long ago and I was worried she would not be able to have key hole because the night before the op she was in agony and I had read if its inflamed they can't use key hole but hers was very straight forward in the end

I had mine removed 30yrs back when my son was 6 months old, it flared up when I was pregnant but was put down to bad morning sickness that lasted all day and the severe pain was due to retching, the day before I gave birth to a 9lb baby I was over a stone lighter than the start of my pregnancy, it subsided for the last 4 weeks and came back when the baby was 5 weeks old and at 8 weeks old I was admitted to hospital and eventually diagnosed with multiple gallstones [over 100 when I had the op, still have some of them here somewhere]

I stayed with my Mum pre and post op for 7 weeks till I was given permission to pick up my son and return to normal function, it took me  about 18 months to get over it, during that period I was divorced,my ex walked out when I was ill pre diagnosis, moved nearer my parents and battled over custody so those things on top of the op probably didn't help.

I tried the low fat diet, the weight loss continued, I would be in tears because I was hardly able to eat anything but would still have pain[being tiny the gallstones easily got washed out into the bile duct causing collicky pain till it passed further into my system], one night the locum GP came out and gave me an injection of Pethidine and my GP gave me some very strong tablets that I could take when my son was settled for the night, my neighbours through the wall listened out for any crying that went on too long but being a good baby I knew his routine, brought anything he needed up to him if I had taken meds rather than risk carrying him downstairs.

I was told I would be in hospital for 2 weeks but was out within a week because I missed my son so much and I promised not to lift him or risk him kicking me in the stomach if he was put on my lap, the DN came and took out some sutures after 10 days and the rest 4 days later.

The surgery was not pleasant, I have a huge scar, but I couldn't have continued with the coondition and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, the pain was like someone stabbing me at the base of my sternum and twisting the knife, I never had the typical shoulder tip pain connected with the condition which is why it was thought to be gastric/duodenal ulcers or an obstruction till I had the cholycystogram[ no CT or MRI back then] which was abandoned half way through when they spotted the stones before they gave me the "fatty meal" which would have made me really ill indeed.

I haven't worked in surgery since 1989 so don't know what the modern invasive surgery entails, maybe someone who has had such such surgery recently will be along to comment.

I hope you get it sorted soon.

I had my gallbladder out 30+ years ago, the pain had been horrendous, as was the vomiting and D*****    I didn'teed to eat anything with fat to be ill, just smelling something with fat in it was enough, I was living on steamed white fish and veg     I also couldn't eat much at all as that would also start it off.     I was not overweight before it all started but did lose weight because of the D+V,   I wasn't diagnosed until I was bright yellow as the docs thought I was too young for gallstones!  

I had suffered regularly with cholecystitis for years before this.  And regularly on Pethidine tablets to control the pain

The op was the BIG one and I have a respectable scar, it's huge because they went looking for my appendix, but couldn't find it (which is another long story)  apparently the galbladder was shrivelled and shrunken which is what had been causing the trouble, the stones were tiny sputniks and went right up the bile duct.  I was never offered the fatty meal, they just injected me with dye whilst doing an xray.

I was in hospital about 11 days, but they were also waiting for my jaundice to clear.   Recovery took about six weeks, but it was abut 3 months before my doctor allowed me back to work.

I still can't eat much fat now and certainly can't eat large meals, therwise i fel sick and get the big D but haven't had the days of vomiting every 15 minutes for 24 hours or more since having the op.  

There could be many reasons why the surgeon wants to do the  instead of keyhole,  the best thing to do is dicuss the reason with him/her.   

Sorry to hear thas sharon. Mum had to have hers out about 15 years ago. They now have it in the teaching hospital as the doctor had never seen one so packed with stones. Im sure it was keyhole but ill ask when sh gets home. Whay are they saying yourll have to have the other one?

yep mums was by keyhole and her mother had it out by being opened up.

Thanks for all your replies.

The reason I've got to have a ct scan is because when I had my ultrasound scan the radiographer reported back that she had seen a shadow that she couldn't make out behind the gallbladder.

I'm on a low fat diet and have lost 5 stones so far. Have managed to keep symptoms at bay with diet etc, but feel so blurgh. Did everyone else feel a lot better after the op?

Thanks

Sharon

fingers crossed the shadow turns out to be nothing. mum says she feel much better after the op and glad it was done.

I certainly felt much better after I had recovered from the surgery and being ill for so long.