Hello all, need a sounding board and any additional information I can get. I went to the hospital a week ago past Friday and had a ultrasound on my gall bladder and a EDG. Yesterday, (Friday) I was informed I had gall stones and need to have my gall bladder removed. I understand this is important because I do not want to have to have the gall bladder removed after having band surgery. I read somewhere that the doctor can remove the gall bladder and place the band at the same time. Has anyone had this procedure done? The nurse in my doctor's office said this cannot be done. Help!

PJ

hi there - i had my gallbladder removed about 7 weeks post op. Dr. said no way to removing it at the same time as the band surgery. guess the gallbladder and it's stones - being diseased/in need of coming out- can leak into the abdominal cavity - who wants that with a brand spankin new band, right? could cause trouble. i think delaying the band by a couple weeks and having the gallbladder out is probably a good idea. good luck to you!

amyk

Amy

How long were you out with the gall bladder surgery?? My problem is that I am limited on time I can take off at work. How long out with LB surgery and how long out with GB surgery?? Thanks for the reply!!

PJ

I will be banded on December 22 and am having my gallbladder taken out at the same time. My doctor is the awesome hunky Dr. Billy who is very experienced and sees no problem with it.

I've had my gallbladder removed and was surprised at the quick recovery time. I don't have the band yet, but I would hate to go through two surgeries. I guess you have to take your dr's. advice. Whatever the decision I wish you luck. I don't know about the band surgery, but with my gallbladder I was up and around pretty fast. Wishing you luck.

I found out about my gallbladder problems in June this year when i caught pancreatitis due to stones. After it was cured, the lap surgeon ddn't feel confident operating on me due to 390 lbs and 60+ age, referred me to a lap band surgeon who wanted to take it out and put on the lapband - one operation. But that assessment was made based on conveninence and less on where my 'fat' was distributed and the problems that might cause in gallbladder removal alone. I was concerned about whether I was strong enough to recover from both, honestly.

Personally i felt unsure about the lapband due to the erosion concerns expressed here, and felt rushed into making that part of the decision so decided to go with just the gallbladder. Good decision. It has taken me a long long time to recover - almost 6 weeks and at least I know the whole problem was the gallbladder and not the lapband too. The doc, when he got in there, had big problems - instead of 3 lap cuts I have 7 and he had to call another lap doc in to help out as the 'trocars' (?) were not long enough to go throught my layers of fat. It was all he could do to just take out the gallbladder without 'opening' me from my breastbone to my hip - so I am thankful for that.

The operation took a lot out of me, a whole lot. The additional lapband would have just added to that complication and the doc said he wouldn't have done it then even I had approved both because the gallbladder was so difficult. Operating on big people is not easy - and the gallbladder fits this class.

If I decide on the lapband, now I have time to make a proper decision and go into it with my eyes wide open ... and to realize that this is another 'major' operation. Hopefully I've reached that point in life where my mind will work with me to fix my weight problem without to need of another operation for a process that has risks of its own. At least when the gallbladder op is over and recovered, it's over.

Do rely on your surgeons and doctors - but all mine promoted having both at once - only I had to live with that decision - and now feel I made the right one. The doc feels the same...but didn't until he got in there.

There's a lot of swelling over the gallbladder operation too - perhaps all operations - and it took me a long time to feel 'better'. Getting my strength back from major surgery was very difficult, took weeks, and thank God for my treadmill starting out at the slowest speed for only 5 min a day and increasing.

It's no bid deal, you will be happy its out instead of the attack's go in and get it taken out before your having pain late at night and both you and your doctor are tired.. you should on be down no more the a week!

Good luck God bless JOHNQ

ps I have not found any thing I can't eat!

Pj, you asked me how long I was out with the gallbladder surgery. Well, I was out for 6 workdays - had two weekends on either side of that.........I found the gallbladder surgery to be easier than the band surgery, but everyone is different. I know I took my pain meds for 5 days with the gallbladder, and needed them!

I am so glad I had it out - i had no idea how much nausea I had been living with.....

AmyK

I am not banded yet. I have seen lots of web pages of docs who will do both at the same time. If your gall bladder removal is uncomplicated, why not? I had my gall baldder out laparoscopically in 1998. I took one week off of work but needed 2. If time off is a factor, then you may want o consider combinign them. It also means having general anesthesia only one time.

I have a link in my signature for my OH profile which tells all about my gallbladder surgery. For me it was easier than the band. I had my gallbladder removed on a thursday and was back at work on monday. As for doing them at the same time - my doctor also said that if there were any complications with the gallbladder you would be endangering the band also.

Good luck,

Thanks guys, so far no pain, gall stones were found by luck. I have another appointment with my doctor and am going to tell him "the ball is in his court". I would like to have both operations done at the same time but he does not feel comfortable doing that, he is my doctor. I will have the band done but might have to be time off without pay. It will be worth it!

PJ