Gall Bladder Issues after Weight Loss Surgery

[PhatGurl80 26]

I would really like to know the chances of having gall bladder issues after WLS. Ive seen some posts wiyh people having to get them removed. What causes these issues? What are some red flags ?

[Foxbins 625]

The chances of having gall bladder issues after WLS are quite high. Obese women are at higher risk to begin with as estrogen appears to influence the development of stones and obesity is thought to cause reduced bile salts in bile, leading to the formation of stones. Add rapid weight loss (when cholesterol is concentrated in the bile due to weight loss) and the risk increases again. Older people tend to have more gallbladder problems, as well, simply because there is more time for stones to develop, and a diet low in Fiber and high in fat also can lead to stones. About 1/3 of WLS patients will end up having gallbladder surgery. Mine was removed 2 weeks ago when I was 10 months post-op. Watch for upper right quadrant pain, under or just below the ribs, sometimes radiating into the back under the shoulder blade or into the right armpit. I also had nausea (some people vomit) and felt truly sick.

Some people take Actigall if their doctor prescribes it.

[ocean_ophelia 31]

Interesting. I work in the medical field and was told that gallbladder issues can occur following rapid weight loss, NOT just due to WLS. There are other risk factors as well, one of which is being obese and eating a diet high in fatty foods.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

The symptoms of gall bladder problems are pain on the right side, and abnormal looking

poops ( sorry, no other way to describe this) Instead of being brown, they are tan.

Is this what you mean about red flags? I ignored my symptoms and thought they would just go away. Instead, it caused pancreatitis and I was in the hospital a lot longer than I would have been, had I gone to the dr. as soon as I started having symptoms.

[Sassygirl06 962]

it can also be caused by a very low caloric diet.

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

Ocean-Ophelia - you are right - gallbladder problems can happen after any kind of weight loss - whether as a result of WLS or an extreme diet. Back in 1987, after having loss 100 pounds on Modi-fast in 9 months, I had a severe gallbladder attack - I was early in my maintenance phase. I had the gallbladder removed the old fashioned way - this was pre-laparoscopy.

My surgeon said I must have had gallbladder problems for years, because of the size of the stones. I hadn't recognized the symptoms as gallbladder - I thought I just got stomach pains after I ate because I was overeating. I think other heavy people may have existing minor gallbladder problems and don't know it. During the weight loss phase the symptoms go away due to the great diet that this being followed. The problems recurr when the person is trying to eat a diet that includes a normal amount of fat (or whatever trigger food sets off the acute response). So the gallbladder issues "suddently" appear.

Getting your gallbladder out isn't normally a bad surgery now. If you show symptoms, go to the doctor. Don't ignore it like Oregon Daisy did. Bad things can happen.

Good Luck.

Sharon

[M2G 1,836]

Ocean-Ophelia - you are right - gallbladder problems can happen after any kind of weight loss - whether as a result of WLS or an extreme diet. Back in 1987, after having loss 100 pounds on Modi-fast in 9 months, I had a severe gallbladder attack - I was early in my maintenance phase. I had the gallbladder removed the old fashioned way - this was pre-laparoscopy.

My surgeon said I must have had gallbladder problems for years, because of the size of the stones. I hadn't recognized the symptoms as gallbladder - I thought I just got stomach pains after I ate because I was overeating. I think other heavy people may have existing minor gallbladder problems and don't know it. During the weight loss phase the symptoms go away due to the great diet that this being followed. The problems recurr when the person is trying to eat a diet that includes a normal amount of fat (or whatever trigger food sets off the acute response). So the gallbladder issues "suddently" appear.

Getting your gallbladder out isn't normally a bad surgery now. If you show symptoms, go to the doctor. Don't ignore it like Oregon Daisy did. Bad things can happen.

Good Luck.

Sharon

Sharon you and me BOTH lost weight AND our gallbladders on Med-i-fast! I lost mine 13 years ago after doing an all liquid diet for 6 months through a bariatric dr. I too, was in the early maintenance phase and started having the worst pain imaginable. I had not yet had kids but now that I have 2 I can safely say the pain was as bad as labor.

The pain is related to "passing" a stone or stones through your system. Nothing aleveiates the pain. NOTHING. Until the stone is passed. To me it felt like someone had taken hold of my insides and squeezed as hard as they could for hours on end. Once the stone passes, then you can resume normal life. Until the next 'attack'. I was also told eating high fat content foods could help trigger an attack, but that isn't the ONLY trigger.

You definitely do not have to lose weight through surgery to be at risk, but since the risk is rapid weight loss (your gall bladder tends to form a sludge during the rapid weight loss phase that then can turn to stones) those who undergo WLS are at a pretty high risk for developing gall stones. Sorry!

Although my hubby is sleeved (he is 9 months post-op and so far no issues) but I keep a pretty close eye on him and will definitely be able to help spot an attack should it occur.

[PhatGurl80 26]

Wow. Thanks for all of the replies! I'll do some more reading up on that topic!

[sassycruiser 5]

I have a coworker who had the sleeve 2 years ago. Good news - she lost 200 LBS!!!!

Bad news - her doctor never told her to take Ursidol (spelling?). She had her gallbladder out Wednesday (this week) and had 12 stones. So believe me - I am sucking down that pill every day even though it is huge.

I personally had a gallbladder attack, fortunately not severe enough to have removed after doing the HMR diet at my doctor. They had prescribed it that time also, but of course I knew better. This time I am not taking any chances. The sleeve was enough fun - I want to keep my gallbladder.

[thebionicbroad 127]

My surgeon took out my gallbladder at the same time that he did the Lap-band revision to a sleeve. He said that I had an ancient, calcified stone the size of a jaw-breaker, and didn't want to take any chances with me having to have yet another abdominal surgery.

[Sassygirl06 962]

The surgeon checks us for stones when we have the sleeve surgery. If you have any stones they take it out automatically. It helps reduce the chances of having two surgerys.

[Less of Leslie 90]

My surgeon mentioned he saw a scar on my gallbladder. I will be having an ultrasound on Monday, but now I am nervous. My mom had hers removed a few years ago after an attack. I am starting a new job in January and will be losing my insurance for a few months. I would almost like it removed now just to be on the safe side.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

If I would have had a choice or knew to ask about it , I would have had it out at the time of my revision surgery. I went through hell with my gall bladder and it causing pancreatitis.

I didn't know about the weird color of poop. I thought that had something to do with being sleeved.I read that somewhere after I had my gall bladder out. I would have gone to the dr. a lot sooner if I knew that meant a gall bladder attack would be coming!