If you still have your gall bladder and are thinking about this surgery, consult with your Dr that is going to do your sleeve......IT IS PROVEN 1 out of 10 after the SLEEVE will have to have gall bladder surgery. #1, this can help you as he can remove the gall bladder and do the sleeve, your ins will cover the gall bladder and all you may have to cover is the sleeve surgery...if your ins does not cover the sleeve.............. DO NOT let them do the sleeve if you have your gall bladder, as YOU WILL HAVE to have gall bladder surgery in a month or two AFTER the sleeve, COMBINE THE TWO!!!!!! Chime in on all that have had the sleeve then had to go in and have gall bladder removed.................

Why does the gall bladder has to be removed...

Bump... I'm pre op btw and VERY CURIOUS

I had my gallbladder out years ago... it was gangrene and falling apart so I didn't have a choice.... BUT if I had a healthy gallbladder, I'd take my chances by leaving it in.. especially if the odds of needing to have it out are are 1 in 10... The gallbladder is NOT a vestigial organ... if you can keep it then you should.

The gall bladder is a digestive organ located next to the liver. The gall bladder stores a digestive juice called bile, and then squirts it out when you eat to help digest food. It primarily digests fats, but does have other functions. If you have had your gall bladder removed, bile simply leaks into the small intestine in small amounts all day long. Storing bile in the gall bladder for release when you eat is more effective and efficient. You won't digest fats as well if you don't have a gall bladder. However, you can live and be healthy without one.

Gall bladder problems are fairly common following weight loss surgery. Gall stones can form when there is an imbalance in the ration of cholesterol to bile salts in the bile. This is common occurrence when someone is on a very restrictive diet or is losing a lot of weight in a short period of time, as generally occurs after weight loss surgery. Studies show that about 30% of gastric bypass or sleeve patients develop gall stones following their surgery, and 10% have problems serious enough to require removal of the gall bladder. Likewise, about 10% of lap band patients have to have their gall bladder removed after surgery. There are a couple of ways to prevent gall bladder problems after weight loss surgery. Some surgeons simply remove the gall bladder routinely during gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery. This is not usually done during lap band surgery, however. Not all surgeons will remove a healthy gall bladder, however. While you can usually live just fine without a gall bladder, routinely removing the gall bladder can cause some problems. It prolongs the weight loss surgery and requires larger incisions. It increases the risk of complications from the surgery. It also leads to diarrhea in some patients, which can be a life-long issue. There is a medication you can take to help prevent the formation of gall stone.

Actigall is a naturally occurring bile salt and helps to maintain the proper ratio of bile salts to cholesterol. It is taken twice a day. It helps prevent the formation of gall stones while you are losing weight. Once you have reached your goal weight, typically one year to 18 months after your weight loss surgery, you can stop taking the medication. My surgeon only puts his patients on it for the first 6 months though.

Actigall is effective 98% of the time. There are some potential side effects of Actigall, however, including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting. Side effects are relatively rare, though. The most common is diarrhea. If you would like your gall bladder removed during your weight loss surgery, talk to your surgeon about it. As I said earlier, not all surgeons will remove a health gall bladder, but some do it routinely and others will do it upon request from the patient.

Some doctors routinely prescribe Actigall for weight loss surgery patients, but not all do. If you are not having your gall bladder removed during your weight loss surgery, it is recommended that you ask your doctor about Actigall.

The gall bladder is a digestive organ located next to the liver. The gall bladder stores a digestive juice called bile, and then squirts it out when you eat to help digest food. It primarily digests fats, but does have other functions. If you have had your gall bladder removed, bile simply leaks into the small intestine in small amounts all day long. Storing bile in the gall bladder for release when you eat is more effective and efficient. You won't digest fats as well if you don't have a gall bladder. However, you can live and be healthy without one.

Gall bladder problems are fairly common following weight loss surgery. Gall stones can form when there is an imbalance in the ration of cholesterol to bile salts in the bile. This is common occurrence when someone is on a very restrictive diet or is losing a lot of weight in a short period of time, as generally occurs after weight loss surgery. Studies show that about 30% of gastric bypass or sleeve patients develop gall stones following their surgery, and 10% have problems serious enough to require removal of the gall bladder. Likewise, about 10% of lap band patients have to have their gall bladder removed after surgery. There are a couple of ways to prevent gall bladder problems after weight loss surgery. Some surgeons simply remove the gall bladder routinely during gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery. This is not usually done during lap band surgery, however. Not all surgeons will remove a healthy gall bladder, however. While you can usually live just fine without a gall bladder, routinely removing the gall bladder can cause some problems. It prolongs the weight loss surgery and requires larger incisions. It increases the risk of complications from the surgery. It also leads to diarrhea in some patients, which can be a life-long issue. There is a medication you can take to help prevent the formation of gall stone.

Actigall is a naturally occurring bile salt and helps to maintain the proper ratio of bile salts to cholesterol. It is taken twice a day. It helps prevent the formation of gall stones while you are losing weight. Once you have reached your goal weight, typically one year to 18 months after your weight loss surgery, you can stop taking the medication. My surgeon only puts his patients on it for the first 6 months though.

Actigall is effective 98% of the time. There are some potential side effects of Actigall, however, including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting. Side effects are relatively rare, though. The most common is diarrhea. If you would like your gall bladder removed during your weight loss surgery, talk to your surgeon about it. As I said earlier, not all surgeons will remove a health gall bladder, but some do it routinely and others will do it upon request from the patient.

Some doctors routinely prescribe Actigall for weight loss surgery patients, but not all do. If you are not having your gall bladder removed during your weight loss surgery, it is recommended that you ask your doctor about Actigall.

Thanks for this post Laura-ven. My surgeon has me on Ursodiol 300mg twice a day for this very reason. As I recall, it's only for about 4 months.

If you still have your gall bladder and are thinking about this surgery, consult with your Dr that is going to do your sleeve......IT IS PROVEN 1 out of 10 after the SLEEVE will have to have gall bladder surgery. #1, this can help you as he can remove the gall bladder and do the sleeve, your ins will cover the gall bladder and all you may have to cover is the sleeve surgery...if your ins does not cover the sleeve.............. DO NOT let them do the sleeve if you have your gall bladder, as YOU WILL HAVE to have gall bladder surgery in a month or two AFTER the sleeve, COMBINE THE TWO!!!!!! Chime in on all that have had the sleeve then had to go in and have gall bladder removed.................

Can you post a link to a reliable source that says this?

If you still have your gall bladder and are thinking about this surgery, consult with your Dr that is going to do your sleeve......IT IS PROVEN 1 out of 10 after the SLEEVE will have to have gall bladder surgery. #1, this can help you as he can remove the gall bladder and do the sleeve, your ins will cover the gall bladder and all you may have to cover is the sleeve surgery...if your ins does not cover the sleeve.............. DO NOT let them do the sleeve if you have your gall bladder, as YOU WILL HAVE to have gall bladder surgery in a month or two AFTER the sleeve, COMBINE THE TWO!!!!!! Chime in on all that have had the sleeve then had to go in and have gall bladder removed.................

Good doctors prescribe medication - Actigall- to prevent problems with the gallbladder. No matter what way people lose weight- with surgery or without- the chances for gallstones is increased. I hope everybody is smart enough to do their own research and find a good doctor who will know how to help them.

Edited July 21, 201313 yr by *susan*
Disrespectful and against forum rules

Ouch!!

Wowza!

The gall bladder is a digestive organ located next to the liver. The gall bladder stores a digestive juice called bile' date=' and then squirts it out when you eat to help digest food. It primarily digests fats, but does have other functions. If you have had your gall bladder removed, bile simply leaks into the small intestine in small amounts all day long. Storing bile in the gall bladder for release when you eat is more effective and efficient. You won't digest fats as well if you don't have a gall bladder. However, you can live and be healthy without one.

Gall bladder problems are fairly common following weight loss surgery. Gall stones can form when there is an imbalance in the ration of cholesterol to bile salts in the bile. This is common occurrence when someone is on a very restrictive diet or is losing a lot of weight in a short period of time, as generally occurs after weight loss surgery. Studies show that about 30% of gastric bypass or sleeve patients develop gall stones following their surgery, and 10% have problems serious enough to require removal of the gall bladder. Likewise, about 10% of lap band patients have to have their gall bladder removed after surgery. There are a couple of ways to prevent gall bladder problems after weight loss surgery. Some surgeons simply remove the gall bladder routinely during gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery. This is not usually done during lap band surgery, however. Not all surgeons will remove a healthy gall bladder, however. While you can usually live just fine without a gall bladder, routinely removing the gall bladder can cause some problems. It prolongs the weight loss surgery and requires larger incisions. It increases the risk of complications from the surgery. It also leads to diarrhea in some patients, which can be a life-long issue. There is a medication you can take to help prevent the formation of gall stone.

Actigall is a naturally occurring bile salt and helps to maintain the proper ratio of bile salts to cholesterol. It is taken twice a day. It helps prevent the formation of gall stones while you are losing weight. Once you have reached your goal weight, typically one year to 18 months after your weight loss surgery, you can stop taking the medication. My surgeon only puts his patients on it for the first 6 months though.

Actigall is effective 98% of the time. There are some potential side effects of Actigall, however, including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting. Side effects are relatively rare, though. The most common is diarrhea. If you would like your gall bladder removed during your weight loss surgery, talk to your surgeon about it. As I said earlier, not all surgeons will remove a health gall bladder, but some do it routinely and others will do it upon request from the patient.

Some doctors routinely prescribe Actigall for weight loss surgery patients, but not all do. If you are not having your gall bladder removed during your weight loss surgery, it is recommended that you ask your doctor about Actigall.[/quote']

THANK YOU BABES

)

If you still have your gall bladder and are thinking about this surgery' date=' consult with your Dr that is going to do your sleeve......IT IS PROVEN 1 out of 10 after the SLEEVE will have to have gall bladder surgery. #1, this can help you as he can remove the gall bladder and do the sleeve, your ins will cover the gall bladder and all you may have to cover is the sleeve surgery...if your ins does not cover the sleeve.............. DO NOT let them do the sleeve if you have your gall bladder, as YOU WILL HAVE to have gall bladder surgery in a month or two AFTER the sleeve, COMBINE THE TWO!!!!!! Chime in on all that have had the sleeve then had to go in and have gall bladder removed.................[/quote']

Bladder surgery ???

Before or after Sleeve

______

Both on the same day ????

I will tell my doctor ... Thank you !!!!!

I hadn't heard any statistics before my surgery, but I had heard that some surgeons routinely removed the gall bladder at the same time as the sleeve surgery. I asked my surgeon and he said that was 'old school' and he would stay away from my gall bladder. I guess in Texas it's true when they say, "if it ain't broke - don't fix it!"

I had mine out years before being sleeved and haven't had any digestive problems after either surgery.

It is actually becoming more routine to do it at the same time - but your surgeon will do an ultrasound on your gall bladder first to see if you have any stones forming. Stones can form and be asymptomatic, but then you rapidly lose weight and they can become lodged in the bile duct and cause pain. So if you have the u/s and there are no stones, I see no need to remove it. The medication post-op will help prevent problems.

Best advice for anyone: Talk to your surgeon - they know best!

Interestingly, I specifically asked my surgeon about this last week, and she absolutely shook her head NO. She prescribes preventative meds for all her post-op patients instead. As with most things on web forums such as this, it is easy to find contradictory information. Trust your own doctor, ask questions if you have them.

My doctor said unless there is a current or past issue with the gall bladder they will not take it out. I've only had one gall bladder attack so its going to stay put. They aren't going to take out a healthy organ because it "might" cause a problem. In that case they may as well take out my appendix, tonsils and do a hysterectomy while they are in there.