Did anyone end up having a gallbladder taken out after they had weight-loss surgery and how did it affect their weight loss good or bad

It's common for the Gall Bladder to go sour post-op, I'm not sure they know why. It often resulted in a second surgery removing the GB. My surgeon made it a practice just simply to remove it with Gastric Bypass.

Knowing this I had a long talk with my surgeon that I didn't want my GB removed just because. I got him to promise that he would not remove it unless it definitely deserved to be 86'ed. As it turned out, he removed it because he said it was necessary. Knowing me, he had ready pictures of good GBs and my GB, and the reports on my GB. He had me dead to rights.

I can't say I've noticed that it is missing. :shrug:

Good Luck,

Tek

It is a not uncommon result of rapid weight loss (not just from surgery, but that is the most common means of accomplishing rapid weight loss,) maybe 10% have that problem, give or take?

My surgeon routinely removes it when doing the DS as he doesn't want some other surgeon going in there and getting lost in the altered anatomy (which is weird for them, not so much for the bypass folks.) With the sleeve, he leaves it alone unless he feels stones in there when he is doing the surgery. So, I still have mine, but my wife, with her DS, doesn't, and we haven't noticed any great difference beyond what the WLS is already doing (there's always changes when you alter the body's default condition.)

You can develop gallstones for many reasons including high cholesterol, menopause, high bilirubin levels, diabetes, losing weight quickly. For many of us, losing weight also releases extra cholesterol into our bloodstream causing our levels to temporarily rise. Some also have gallstones before surgery which were never picked up.

I had to have my gallbladder removed 25 months after my surgery. I had high bilirubin levels, am menopausal, & saw my cholesterol go up while I was losing & of course had lost weight. I had one stone which was discovered about 6 months after surgery during a liver scan. We don’t know how long it had been there. The stone never caused me a problem until one night & oh boy!

I was maintaining when my gall was removed. After it was removed I stopped absorbing protein as well as I had been - it can happen. My nails became weak, started losing hair again, things were taking longer to heal, etc. & my three monthly blood test showed why. I had to up my protein intake (from 50-60g to 60-70g) which did result in a small gain of 2kgs in a month but I’ve maintained that for a good 7 months. (Also upped my HRT meds at the exact same time so both contributed to the gain.) I was also prescribed Creons, pancreatic enzymes, to help with protein absorption.

My surgeon automatically puts us on Gallbladder medication to help prevent gall stones while going through rapid weight loss. I am on it for 6 months post-op. He says your gallbladder has a hard time keeping up with the rapid weight loss (surgery or not) and gall stones can form causes you to have to have your gallbladder removed.

I was given a medication called Ursodiol 300mg twice a day for 1 year and it dissolves gall stones. I would not want mine removed if it did not need to be. So far 3 months post op i am doing fine without issue. The medication is a bit on the pricey side. With insurance i pay around $130 for 180 pills. without insurance its like $750

1 hour ago, liveaboard15 said:

I was given a medication called Ursodiol 300mg twice a day for 1 year and it dissolves gall stones. I would not want mine removed if it did not need to be. So far 3 months post op i am doing fine without issue. The medication is a bit on the pricey side. With insurance i pay around $130 for 180 pills. without insurance its like $750

Whew! Medications in the US are ridiculous! Especially the really important ones, like that keep you alive. But yet, pain meds etc. are pennies.

That is all I will say, before I get on a serious rant!

Luckily my surgery was covered by insurance so I hit my MAX out of pocket and I don't pay anything for the rest of the year. For meds, copays or appointments. Even with insurance I have a 7,000 bill I am chiseling away at.

3 hours ago, kcuster83 said:

My surgeon automatically puts us on Gallbladder medication to help prevent gall stones while going through rapid weight loss. I am on it for 6 months post-op. He says your gallbladder has a hard time keeping up with the rapid weight loss (surgery or not) and gall stones can form causes you to have to have your gallbladder removed.

Same here. My PCP put me on 6 months of Actigall and it seems to have done the trick. I'm 10 months out now, 4 months off the med, and no issues.

From what I've read, it is VERY common to have gallbladder issues post-op, usually in the first 6 months to a year, during the most active loss. I haven't seen anything that indicates it impacts or inhibits weight loss, but it is often incredibly painful and if removal is necessary, it obviously requires another surgery.

1 minute ago, Sleeve_Me_Alone said:

Same here. My PCP put me on 6 months of Actigall and it seems to have done the trick. I'm 10 months out now, 4 months off the med, and no issues.

From what I've read, it is VERY common to have gallbladder issues post-op, usually in the first 6 months to a year, during the most active loss. I haven't seen anything that indicates it impacts or inhibits weight loss, but it is often incredibly painful and if removal is necessary, it obviously requires another surgery.

Yea, it doesn't seem this is uncommon.

I asked my surgeon about just snatching it while he was there so I didn't have to worry about another surgery. haha

He said, only if I had a history of gallstones pre-op. Otherwise it stays.

I didn't so it stayed. 4 months post op, no issues so far. ?

11 hours ago, liveaboard15 said:

I was given a medication called Ursodiol 300mg twice a day for 1 year and it dissolves gall stones. I would not want mine removed if it did not need to be. So far 3 months post op i am doing fine without issue. The medication is a bit on the pricey side. With insurance i pay around $130 for 180 pills. without insurance its like $750

Look at good rx for discount coupon… might save you a ton of money

Edited July 25, 20224 yr by KimA-GA

13 hours ago, liveaboard15 said:

I was given a medication called Ursodiol 300mg twice a day for 1 year and it dissolves gall stones. I would not want mine removed if it did not need to be. So far 3 months post op i am doing fine without issue. The medication is a bit on the pricey side. With insurance i pay around $130 for 180 pills. without insurance its like $750

I am approaching my 1 year anniversary since my revision and I really wish my doctor gave me this medicine. I was lucky and didn't need it (yet) but it's was worrisome for me because I have read it is a common problem after WLS. Every time I felt a pain, I thought "Oh no, it must be my gallbladder!"?

58 minutes ago, Tomo said:

Every time I felt a pain, I thought "Oh no, it must be my gallbladder!"?

You’d really know it if it was your gall. That pain is excruciating. I would have thought I was dying if I didn’t know what it was. Literally rolling on the bed in agony. Covered in sweat. Could barely get up & drag myself to get some pain meds. Not that they helped.

The surgery was actually pretty easy. My surgeon used the same incisions he did for my sleeve so no new scars. No special diet after. Knew what to expect post an abdominal surgery but the gas pain was pretty bad but I had none with my sleeve.

I wasn’t put on ursidol or similar. Which I’m actually glad about as the side effects aren’t the best: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, hair loss & we already had enough of those without making them worse. And you wouldn’t know if it was the meds or your recovery & weight loss causing or exacerbating them.

You’d really know it if it was your gall. That pain is excruciating. I would have thought I was dying if I didn’t know what it was. Literally rolling on the bed in agony. Covered in sweat. Could barely get up & drag myself to get some pain meds. Not that they helped.
The surgery was actually pretty easy. My surgeon used the same incisions he did for my sleeve so no new scars. No special diet after. Knew what to expect post an abdominal surgery but the gas pain was pretty bad but I had none with my sleeve.
I wasn’t put on ursidol or similar. Which I’m actually glad about as the side effects aren’t the best: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, Hair loss & we already had enough of those without making them worse. And you wouldn’t know if it was the meds or your recovery & weight loss causing or exacerbating them.

Thank you the info. I am so glad you are okay after having to go through that. The pain sounds horrible!

I just had my gall bladder removed at 3 months post sleeve. I lost 4lbs the week after surgery but I've been in a stall for 2 weeks now with my weight going up a bit. I have not stalled at all prior to this. The fatigue post-op was the worst but I think it's because I had 2 surgeries back to back. I am glad to have it out. The gall bladder pain was excruciating! Plus the nausea and bloating!