Pre-surgery testing, my gallbladder was great...showed nothing. Over the last few weeks, I've had increasingly bad attacks...a CT scan during an ER visit showed it was enlarged and bloodwork showed elevated liver enzymes, but no other issues. No fever, no aches or chills...just pain on the right side and nausea/vomiting.

Averaging a couple of attacks a week, and finally my hospital appt for an ultrasound and hida scan rolled around. Ultrasound showed sludge and stones, so they canceled the second part of the hida (CCK) and just did the first part, so I don't know EF and it doesn't really matter because at the end of the test, my gallbladder wasn't showing, so I had to wait around for another 45 minutes and do another series of photos.

PCP says it has to come out. I go to referred surgeon and he keeps referring to my surgery as a "bypass" (and I keep correcting him), and he tells me he has to do the gallbladder surgery OPEN instead of laparascopically, because he knows I will have lots of scar tissue and he is sure I have an infection in my gallbladder. But then tells me he can't do it for 2 weeks b/c he is going on vacation. And he doesn't do any bloodwork or put me on antibiotics for this alleged "infection" or anything. I've requested a second opinion, and am also going to ask my sleeve surgeon when I see him next week (he is 4.5 hours away, so initially, I didn't think it made sense to involve him...but he may be my best option, even if it involves more travel).

So my questions for those who had their gallbladder removed post-sleeve:

1. Was it automatically open for fear of your new anatomy and scar tissue?

2. If it wasn't scheduled for open, did it end up being open because of unforeseen issues?

I know that there is always the risk of having to be opened up when you have surgery, but I thought they did everything they could to avoid it and was really put off by this guy saying he was going to do it open because it was such a concern to him, yet he wasn't concerned enough to get it done before his vacation or to do any bloodwork or antibiotics or anything while I'm waiting. Seems like a $$ to me.

I am just starting the sleeve process, I was wondering if having your gallbladder removed afterwards is common?

I am just starting the sleeve process' date=' I was wondering if having your gallbladder removed afterwards is common?[/quote']

Very! It's common with rapid weight loss with or without the sleeve.

For those who had their gallbladder out.....were you on Actigall after the sleeve to try help prevent the gallbladder attacks?

For those who had their gallbladder out.....were you on Actigall after the sleeve to try help prevent the gallbladder attacks?

Yep. Twice a day for 6 months.

My doc says about 30% will have their GB out. Actigall works if you're willing to take it forever...he doesn't blanket prescribe for everyone. Some people will just have problems. Several sleeved folks I know have had gb out despite actigall and following physicians diets (I've seen people here be snide and say you only have gb probably post-surgery due to not following your diet and that isn't true).

And fwiw, my pre-surgery scan of my gb was clear...No sludge or stones at all (which is why my surgeon left it alone). Here I am, 3.5 months later and having attacks 2-3 days a week of increasing severity...ultrasound shows sludge and stones. Hida scan didn't even show my gallbladder at the end of the hour, so I had to come back for more pictures...which means it's not working the way it should. I even have attacks on days where I been been so afraid to eat, I just have fruits and veggies. For some people only fats and dairy is a trigger. Others are bothered by acid. Everything bothers me since mine just doesn't seem to want to work!

I'm having gallbladder issues and I'm hoping some of you with more experience can help me out. I'm about 2 1/2 weeks post op and I had to go to the ER yesterday because of abdominal pain. They did some bloodwork and an ultrasound. The doc said I have sludge in my gallbladder and that eventually the sludge will turn into gallstones and I'll get my gallbladder removed then. My surgeon said my gallbladder looked good when she sleeved it. I'm not sure how it got so bad so fast. Most of the posts I've read said it was several months before they had to have their gallbladder removed.

Has anybody else had something similar happen? Did the pain from the sludge go away? How long after the sludge was discovered did you have your gallbladder removed? Is there anything I can do about the sludge pain? Because it really sucks and it's making it hard to sleep and exercise and work in my garden and eat and drink.