My consultant was telling me worst case scenarios for the op, one of them was if the tube leading to my bladder gets damaged during the op it will turn into a big problem. Im now more worried and concerned than ever
I think the best thing you can do is do some reasearch the I internet is great now a days for information. The doctors have obviously advised you to have it removed for a reason. Aslong as you don't have any major heart or lung problems the general aneasethetic will be fine. I had my gallbladder out in Feb ad I had choleocystitis but no gallstones I was having really frequent attacks so they took it out. I have since had no end of problems but that's the risk you take. My advise is if you really have to have it done then you need to... As i said I would just do my homework just incase something happens post op as I was told once you have it out you will have no pain and you can eat what you want... It couldn't b further from the truth. I don't want to scare you but I wish I would have been more prepared how old are you if you don't mind me asking and how long have you had the problem?
Thank you for your response. I have done some research on it but wanted to hear real experiences too. Im 30 years old, ive had the pains on/off for about 2 years and been hospitalised with it last November and its only just now they are doing something about it.
Why did your surgeon give you worse case scenarios? So if you become the one in a 1000 or 5000 you can't sue him for not informing you of risks. Mad world. There are risks with any procedure but this procedure is a routine low risk op. I was like you terrified before my op. But it ran so smoothly I went down to surgery at 12.00 was back in my ward at 2pm drinking camomile tea for wind .... I went home at 8.30pm . Only took paracetamols for pain and felt so much better very quickly. Was careful with food for 3 days but everyone bought me chocolate soon discovered I could eat it no problems 
. So started eating normal food experimenting gradually . Fantastic. Remember even if they do nick you inside they can stitch it up. It's not major heart surgery it's day surgery which tells you how safe it is .... Try not to worry. And believe me once that rotten inflamed and diseased organ is removed your body will sigh with relief .. Hope all goes well.
Thank you for responding Sally. Your comments have made me feel better.
Glad I helped a little.
I get panic attacks and anxiety about stressful situations. And I really worked myself up about the anaethetic . My anaesthetist was so kind and explained they have newer and safer anaesthetics now than they had 5 years ago.
She explained that these newer drugs enable them to not put you under so deep and for shorter periods of time , hence you are able to go home in the same day ... Quite amazing .. And I asked my surgeon how he got the gall bladder out ? Absolutely ingenious . He said he clamped then removed the gallbladder put it in a little plastic bag then blended it in the bag and then sucked the contents out of the bag , then removed the bag all through the tiniest little holes . All done inside you because they inflate your abdomen . So I guess when they inflate your abdomen they will be able to have a good look around . And then decide if your gallbladder is the culprit . What a difference to 30 odd years ago when it would of been a major operation with a massive scar . Not always been the good old days 
Hi Natalie. I had the same fears, but the hospital staff were very thorough which helped me feel better and also I asked the anesthesiologist for a shot of something (versed, I think) to relax me just before they rolled me to the operating room. That helped a lot.
this is a very common surgery and it is likely that they won't even use a catheter in your bladder at all (they did not with me
Hi Natalie
I was exactly like you, and I am an ex general nurse, so have a little knowledge which in my case was both a positive & a negative I think.
I suffer with a lot of allergic reactions so was very concerned about all the drugs for anaesthesia as I'd never had a general anaesthetic before. My surgery was cancelled twice (once at the stage where I was bedside in hospital, I'd been consented and given paper knickers, surgical stocking then the surgeon got stuck in extreme traffic due to an accident so I was cancelled etc) before finally my surgery was performed yesterday, so by the time yesterday arrived I had driven myself up into a frenzy of worry.
I arrived at 7:30am was told there was a possible bed situation and I'd have to wait. I finally got a bed at 10am chatted with the anaesthetist who was a lovely guy but looked a bit crazy as looked like a a cross between zz top and Santa Claus and an extra from lord of the rings lol I was taller than him when I was sat down. He reassured me that in 25 years of doing anaesthesia he has never seen anyone have any form of serious allergic reaction that was not able to be controlled. I also have had cardiac surgery for a heart arrhythmia a few years ago so was worried my heart might go into a wobble and again he told me everything is closely monitored throughout and he would counteract anything my body did along the way. Gallbladder surgery is very safe and the surgery itself didn't concern me so much tbh. I was rushed through and down in theatre 10 mins after this, quick chat about my holidays with Santa Claus as he put in a cannula and next thing it's 12pm and I'm waking up, bit dry in the mouth, bit whoozy for 10-20 mins mainly as I didn't have my glasses on lol and back on the ward eating and drinking within 10 mins.
I have four incisions, 3 tiny and 1 about 1cm under belly button. Have only needed paracetamol so far, they told me to take diclofenic regardless of whether I feel I need it for a few days as it's a good anti inflammatory. Slept well, small amount of bruising starting under the belly button wound. Slightly tender when I go to get up but I'm walking about without issue and relatively pain free tbh. I took paracetamol, but honestly it's more preventative as I genuinely don't feel anything more than a stitch like pain on movement. Got some extra dressings, dissolvable stiches in and just need to take it easy next couple of weeks.
I even wrote a letter to my family I was that scared to be opened "when I died on the operating theatre table" lol all I can say is I'm a fit and healthy 43year old aside from the things I've just mentioned and it's honestly been so easy I can't tell you. Fingers crossed it will stay that way. I'm eating fine, drinking fine. They say you can get a lot if pain between your shoulder blades from the carbon dioxide they pump in to inflate things during surgery, but I sat upright, moved around and passing wind in small amounts and no shoulder pain here thankfully!
i had my gallbladder flare up beginning of April then I got a stone lodged in my bile duct and turned yellow and started passing luminous urine. I didn't eat for 16 days straight as was being sick and in agony. They removed the stone during a thing called an ERCP after 10 days on antibiotics, IV painkillers and anti sickness stuff, no issues since but because I had 6 other gallstones they told me best to have it out once the inflammation cleared. Going on holiday in 1 month so didn't want to end up in a mess over there.
anyway hope I have in some way helped ease your fears. It's easy peasy and you will wake up! Promise x
You know that was the first thing this one doctor said to me, duh and when I said well you don't plan on cutting that do you and he was not amused . What a thing to say when a patient is scared. Needless to say, I schedule my surgery with him. Some doctors don't have any bed side manners
Im sorry if this causes offence to your other replies but they have really angered me!
Although on paper gallbladder removal is 'routine' it is far from that that for thousands of people! Yes the tell you that 99% of ops are a success but I would love to know what they class as a success .... I can tell you Mrs I ate chocolate after my Op you are a
Minority most people gave problems after surgery ranging from diarrhea to Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction and pancreatitis. You will find that you can't eat exactly the same as
before and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you.... Yes maybe in a few years
time but certainly not straight after. There is not enough awareness given at the time
to tell you that the op will make things worse! Some people like I said have it worse
than others. I am on the extreme side of the spectrum and parts of me wish I had died right there on the operating table as my life is now a living nightmare..... This probably won't happen to you but please don't believe that everything is going to be like it was before because I can feel you it won't!
Hi
I am mrs I ate chocolate and I am not offended just so so sorry that you have been left in such a terrible state. I was aware from my gp of the risks . And I am so grateful that my operation and recovery along with the majority of people that have the operation went well . But I am so sorry that you are suffering so badly.
I just wanted Natalie to hear a positive outcome as most people who comment here are suffering . And she is very scared and I didn't want her to be more scared . Let's be honest if your health is running well you are unlikely to be looking at patient.info .so you do get to read the worse case scenarios here.
i am a Carer for my husband who has CFS and my mother with parkinsons so I do use this site for help.
And it's very informative...
I wish there was some gem I could impart to help you but I don't have one . Which is so sad ... My heart goes out to you .. Sometimes this life stinks and all we can do is endure it ...
Hi there,
I just wanted to say thank you to those who have previously contributed to this thread. I stumbled across this conversation before my surgery and it really helped me to calm down. So I thought I'd add my experience and tips to help others...
I went into the hospital at 7am on the day of my surgery (no food and drink allowed beforehand) and had my operation at 11am.
I'm in my late 20s and this was my first experience of key-hole surgery. When I woke up I felt discomfort and pain in my stomach and shoulders (I'd say a 5 out of 10) but the medication provided dulled that down.
I stayed overnight, had breakfast the following morning and went home. I was given some strong painkillers (oxycodone) and paracetamol. I continued to take the strong painkillers the following day but they caused more problems then they solved (drowsiness, vomiting and constipation) so I stopped taking them and found the discomfort manageable without taking anything at all.
I spent the next couple of days in bed and was up and about by the weekend (4 days after the surgery). I continued to take it easy (no heavy lifting or stretching and frequqnt naps) for the following week. I returned to work after 2 weeks.
I looked online for post-op diets and there seemed to be little consensus about what to eat. My surgeon said it really depended on the individual so I started with plain high-fibre low-fat meals and then gradually started to introduce meat, dairy and vegetables. Three weeks later I'm still having problems digesting some fruits (blueberries, strawberries, oranges) and food with a lot of butter (croissants, rich sauces etc) but I feel myself getting better every day.
It's been a positive experience for me (and I'm really sorry to hear about your experience Kaylesc - I hope you've now had a complete recovery). Even when I was experiencing pain after the surgery - it was a trifle compared to the pain of having a gallstone attack.
Tips I would give to those awaiting the surgery:
- Take a good book, slippers and eye mask into the hospital.
- Stock up on plain high-fibre foods before the surgery.
- My partner was able to work from home the 2 days following the surgery - this was particularly helpful as I was too drowsy to make meals. If someone can't stay at home with you I'd reccomend making 1-2 days meals in advance.
- Have a hot water bottle handy - I found it helped with the ache in my shoulders.
- Have an upbeat TV series waiting for you. I'm unashamed to say I powered through 4 seasons of Parks and Recreation - and it was GREAT.
- Manage friends expectations that you won't be immediately available to speak over the phone or have people around for 3-4 days. I'd reccomend having a point of contact who can update friends and extended family.
- It's easy to say now but try not to worry too much about the surgery and aneasethetic. I spent hours trying to find out how many people had died every year from the procedure/ what the alternatives to surgery were/ what would be the last words I said to my partner and family etc. All very dramatic in retrospect! It's a huge relief not to worry about my gallbladder anymore and I wish the best of luck to anyone awaiting the surgery.
I want to let you know that this surgery is responsible for making my life a nightmare too. I had my surgery in Dec of 2011, and four years later, am having to be put on the transplant list due to chronic infections in my bloodstream ever since. Four days after surgery I was back in the emergency room with a huge bile leak throughout my entire abdomen, a collapsed lung, and septic. I thought I was going to die...and I almost did. I was hospitalized 10 times that year. Since then, my infections are fewer, but worse. After nine picc lines, during my last hospitalization in the end of September, the doctor had a port placed in my chest. I cannot stress enough...please, please, please take all possible complications into consideration prior to agreeing to this surgery.
Hi Helen,
I had my GB removed about 4 years ago and I have never looked back. OK ther eis a risk with any surgery but thsi really wasn't a major issue for me.
I was kept in for 1 night then went home the following morning (Tuesday) and by Friday I was off all pain relief and living a normal life (if walking a little slower).
Now I do not miss the GB at all. I can eat anything I like and I am pain free. Most importantly I am not risking pancreatitis (which is very dangerous).
Yr Anaesthatist will talk you through the actual anaesthetic and will be aware of any risk factors - i was (and still am) quite a large lady so he was very careful with my BP but remember, these are professional people. They are not in the business of killing their patients. if they are willing to proceed then you should have nothing to worry about.
L
Do you no of anyone who as been awake threw this surgary
Hi do you no of anyone who as been awake with this operation
Hi Helen,
U will b totally fine, surgeons have to tell everyone the risks but it is normally 1 in 1000 that have complications, so the likely hood of u having an issue under general will b minimum, the only complication I had was my temp & blood pressure being a bit everywhere and theN having the gas trapped causing more pain so couldn't lie flat or stand straight for a few days and getting a post op chest infection, but all of that is minor and morphine helped with that but things like that happen, I'm still recovering but I'm getting there every day :-) u will b fine honestly,it's commen people are in pain and wish they never went thro it the 1st few days but after that u will b thankful for it :-) stay positive and let the surgeon and nurses know that ur nervous, it's natural and then they know how to keep u at ease :-) xx
You will be fine. It is normal to worry, trust you will get through this. The anaesthesia is actually great, you wake up as if no time passed.
Hello, all of her organs in our bodies are necessary. The gallbladder is just that. It is just a bladder. Like the bladder we have when we urinate. The bladder for urine is just that. The gallbladder or urine bladder are just like sacks. The bladder for urine holds your urine. Coldwater is a sack and only a sack that holds things like gallstones.
Without your gallbladder the stones instead of going into the gallbladder will just fall into your body cavity. Which can and will cause other problems down the road. Unless it was a life and death situation, I would do anything to avoid this surgery. Again, the gallbladder serves a REAL function in your body. Western medicine likes to cut. Not deal with the real problem like getting people to change their lifestyle and diet. If you started eating a plant based clean diet the symptoms and pain would totally disappear. It's sad that people are not educated about their bodies which leads people to put their trust in their doctors/surgeons. Please at all costs, don't let them remove your gallbladder!!!
I work in a hospital, spend lots of time in theatres, know all about this stuff, and I was still terrified of my general anaesthetic!!
I'd never had one before, and just had no idea what I was letting myself in for.
in the end, I got a lovely anaesthetist (whom I knew from work, so that was nice), and it was actually lovely. Drips go up, they put different things down them, give you a bit of oxygen in a nice mask (not one of those really old style scary, smelly ones), and then I remember feeling woozy and sleepy, and that's it. Next I remember was waking up and feeling absolutely fine! I didn't feel particularly groggy or anything. The only thing I think I felt was slightly drunk - but that nice stage of drunk where you're just a bit chatty and sociable and think you're really funny (when actually you're probably not!).
there are risks to absolutely everything, and they wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't tell you. But then I guess it's up to us to decide whether a 1 in whatever risk of a certain complication is worth it to make the gallbladder pain go away. I've had gallbladder issues for over 7 years, because when it all started, it wasn't that bad, so when they offered the operation, personally for me, the risks did not outweigh the benefits.
several years later when the pain got much worse and more frequent, I decided that the potential benefits far outweighed the risks.
but if you read the leaflet that comes with a pack of paracetamol it will tell you all kinds of horrible things that MIGHT happen.
good luck with your decision. Xx