I have been having a horrid pain under my right shoulder blade and today my PCP said it could very well be my gall bladder. Did anyone have theirs removed at the same time they got their band? Any info will help.

I haven't experienced a gall bladder problem myself, but I know that some people have had their gall bladder removed at the same time as their banding operation. You may want to do an advanced search for "gall bladder" (search button in the blue bar at the top of the page). Happy reading, and I hope you feel better soon!

Hi,

I did not have my gall bladder out when I had my band put in but it may have been a good idea. I had my band put in on January 17, 2005. I had my gall bladder out September 1, 2005. It is not uncommon to develope gall bladder problems with weight loss. A good doctor can help you with that. Good luck.

Hi there . . . I have some personal experience with this. I was having some unidentified pain that I was trying to ignore for a long time. During the work-up for the band, they did an ultrasound of the belly, which showed that I had gallstones. As Janieh mentioned above, weight loss can exacerbate gallbladder problems and people often to have it out later. My doctor said that he needed to take it out first, at least 3 weeks before doing the band surgery. He stated that they cannot safely be done at the same time because the gallbladder is full of bacteria and other nasty toxins. If any of that were to get onto the band, which must be 100% disinfected, the band could become easily infected etc. He told me that he has seen serious complications and infections from having the 2 done at the same time. I asked what would happen if I did nothing and he said that it would likely worsen and I'd end up having to have a emergency surgery. This made sense to me, and although I was bummed out that it had to be done, I resolved myself to postponing the band surgery a little while. (I ended up doing it about 5 weeks before the lap band).

So - I went in at 9am, got the gallbladder out and was home at 2pm. It was a very easy operation, and it prepared me for the band (which was even easier). Both were not difficult for me at all. Thank God. Now, I'm really grateful that it was done - I no longer have the pain that I did have, I averted a likely emergency procedure, it has not effected me in any way with regard to my digestion, etc, and I needn't worry any more about the development of gallstones! The same doctor did both surgeries, which also gave me alot of comfort and confidence in him.

I recommend that you make sure your M.D. orders the tests to screen for gallstones. Good luck with this!

My expierience was the same as Michaelann's and my doctor gave me the same reasons for doing them at different times. He also said that the trocar placement for the band is not ideal for removing the gallbladder (gallbladder is on the right, stomach on the left). I didn't need to postpone my band date. They got me in for the gallbladder the very next week and had my band done 3 1/2 weeks later. Everything has gone fine.

Good luck,