Post Gallbladder Surgery Complications – First 150 Testimonies

[DataCurator]

hi i to have had problems since my gall bladder removed in september 2008. the pain started 2 days after surgery. i have pain under my rib cage and when i sit down it feels like something is being squashed! i cant lie on my side, drive or do much of anything with being in pain! i also feel sick most of the day. i saw the surgeon and had an ultra sound a few weeks after surgery but nothing, so for a year and half i just put up with pain but in march it got worse and causing me problems everyday. i could do more when i had the gallstones! im seeing another surgeon in to weeks so hoping they get to the bottom of it. clare

[DataCurator]

“I had my lap chole at the beginning on March… and I am STILL having issues. I was hospitalized for a week post-op unable to keep anything down; and in constant pain.. I was miserable. my surgeon told me I’d feel SO much better after my surgery… he was wrong.. if I could dig my gallbladder out from the trash and put it back in I would!!!! I have had test, after test after test… and everything has come back ‘normal’ from gastric emptying, EGD, abd ultrasound, HIDA scan, MRCP, and blood work, and everything is normal except some elivated LFTs & blie in my stomach…..

I have CONSTANT nausea daily and some vomiting, EVERYTHING I eat gives me diarrhea.. sometimes constipation but rare (and im eating a very bland diet due to the severe nausea & meds i’m on…) … pain in my upper chest, and abd and it’s just getting old …. anyone else having these issues…surgically i’m well… GI doctors say you’re a mystery & have NO idea what’s wrong & think your a head case…. what the heck???? Anyone else having these issues.. Please give me your insight!!”

[DataCurator]

I had my gallbladder out 10-24-07. I don’t recommend those surgical centers. I had my surgery at 8 am and by 10 am they sent me home. I was in the ER 3 times since then with a pain they can’t figure out. I’ve had an angio gram and my heart is fine. I had an endoscopic procedure because they thought my esophogus was spasming. It came back fine. I’ve had 2 cat scans. They came back fine. Finally my family doctor said I could be having phantom pain. He said not everyone bounces back after losing an organ. I lost 22 lbs. was afraid to eat because of the pain and full feeling. I also wasn’t sleeping more than 3 hrs. a night. My family dr. gave me a drug called Klonopin(in the valium family) I’m eating again and sleeping 8 hrs. If I have any pain I take a half one and a whole one at night to sleep. I’m starting to feel like my old self. You do feel alone when drs. run tests and tell you there’s nothing wrong, but you still have pain.

[DataCurator]

“Hey all,

I had my gallbladder out about 2 years ago. I felt fine for the first 7 months then felt like my gallbladder was never removed. Fast forward to 3 GI docs, 10, 000 in unnecessary tests and my Primary care doc finally diagnosed me with post-cholecystectomy syndrome. He put me on a bile binding med called “”Welchol”” and I feel so much better. Still need to stick to lowfat but no more burning pain in my stomach. Hope this can help someone out there.

Karen”

[DataCurator]

i had my gull bladder removed 3 years ago ive had ongoing bowl problems im loose most of the time so bad sometimes i have accidents just going for a walk its really destoryed my life ,i have questran from to doctor , i suffer from cramps so bad i it makes me cry , when i need to go loo i cant control it as its so loose it will just come away from my body questran helps with the cramps ,ive now been given amitripline from consultant but not sure how thats gonna help

[DataCurator]

“I had my gallbladder removed on 7/8/99. The doctor told me that it was the second attack and that they are going to take it out. She told me she was the best there is. So I had it removed. I was in alot of pain after the surgery and they did not send me home like they where supposed to do. I stayed the night and went home the next day. Two days after the surgery, I was changing my clothes and noticed that my side had turned black bruised. I was very upset after seeing this. The next day my hip got a big black circle (bruise) on it. When I went to the doctor and asked her about this, she said that sometimes this happens. Is this true. After about 4 months after the surgery, my stomach had pain in it everytime I got hungry. I had to get something to eat or I felt like I would vomit. It was a horrible feeling. I went to a gastroligist and he went down to view my stomach with a scope and said I had acid reflux and barretts esophigus. I had to change my diet and take previcid. He then sent me for blood work because I also have a pain where my liver is located. The bloodwork came back with high levels for the liver and also my triglycerides came back at 264 and then he sent me for a C/T scan. The scan showed I have a fatty infiltration of the liver. Also, it showed a 1-2 mm lung nodule in the right middle lobe. After that he ordered a chest e-ray and that came back and said no active disease is seen in the chest. I still have the pain in my liver and my doctor said he wants to see me back in his office in 3 months. My questions are: 1) Is a fatty liver reversable and if so what can I do to reverse it?
2) Should I have pain where by liver is?
3) Should I still have pain after 8 months in my right side where all the bruising was.
4)Should I except that my e-ray on the chest came back normal when the C/T scan (a more detailed test) showed a 1-2 mm nodule. “

[DataCurator]

It’s nice to know there are others who can relate.Here’s my story.Since having my gallbladder removed i can’t eat anything with even the smallest amount of fat in it.When I do,you know the rest.I have also experienced pains where the gallbladder used to be,though not often.I also have constipation problems more than I ever did before.I’m living on bagels,pasta and salad,though raw vegetables fly through my system these days(another new development).I’m thinking about cutting out the quantity of carbs and sugar (same thing I know) as folks on this site are saying cutting out sugar has given them some relief.I will say that I am glad I had the old GB removed.The trouble it caused were immense.I do wish,however,that some trained professional would have at least warned me about all this.what do you think of my idea about cutting the carbs out? If anyone has a chance,let me know.Thanks and good luck y’all!

[DataCurator]

“Love the health care professionals who say no problem. Take their gallbladders out, let them see what it is like. It gets frustrating being lied to by so many people.
Many times I have wanted mine back. It has been about seven years for me and if there is one thing I could change in my life, it would be the decision to have my gall bladder removed.
My intestines have been a mess most of this time. I have experienced health issues I never could have imagined including constant diarrhea, weight gain, shortness of breath, acid reflux, constant nausea and asthma etc.
For the most part I eat to live and find little joy out of eating anything other than pizza. I love the foods that bind. Anything that is tree hugger healthy is a no no for me.
Puritis – down right embarrassing and highly uncomfortable. Of all things hemorrhoids and then I took this stuff called Colisted. Took care of the diarrhea but paralyzed my intestine thus the hemorrhoids. Also gained 30 pounds using this garbage.
I believe Docs know exactly what happens, but it is an easy, relatively low risk and well paying procedure. Does not take a lot of OR time and you know mortgage payments, Mercedes leases and tuition bills are all increasing.
I have lost an incredible amount of respect for the medical profession as a result of my experience. I go to the Doc far less often than I ever did before. Very few I trust. You have to realize all Docs started off as barbers back-in-the-day.
Anyone considering this surgery I would strongly suggest exhausting all alternative forms of treatment prior to literally going under the knife. Do what you can to keep it. It really is there for a reason as many of us have found out. ”

[DataCurator]

“Thank God! I can’t believe what I’ve been reading. And I thought I was going crazy! So many of you seem to have the same experiences that I have had. The most frequent is trying to relate your symptoms and problems to “”medical professionals”” only to be told they have no idea what you’re talking about and that they have never heard about what your going through.
Unfortunately, I have had stomach problems for quite some time since my early 20’s. Mostly irritable bowel, gas and so on. A few years ago I started experiencing unbelievable heartburn,acid indigestion(I know what they mean by “”sulpher””) and stomach pains. It would go on for days and sometimes cause chest pain and trouble breathing. Everything I ate would result in a mad dash or terrible pain. I went to my Doctor and after a couple of times with the same complaints he sent me for tests. Nothing showed up of course until he sent me for the xray procedure for the gall bladder. As soon as they injected the fat dye into the IV things started happenning. The vibe in the whole room changed and the nurses and technicians whom I had been having a pleasant conversation with started saying gall bladder surgery wasn’t that bad. So I arranged with a recommended surgeon to have my gall bladder removed with the hope all this would get under control. The surgery went well and for about a week I started feeling much better but then I started feeling even worse. So lots of tests, consults and medication and things are still shaky. In fact I had so much chest pain recently I ended up getting an ekg (nothing wrong) cause I thought I was having a MI. Since my surgery I have been diagnosed with GERD, Ulcers in the Duodneum, Gastritis and hiatial hernia. I have also been told I have to live with this for the rest of my life… So any advice is welcome.
”

[DataCurator]

I also had my gallbaldder removed, 4 years ago and i still have pain in my lower right back. I’m pretty scared because i had blood work done that shows a high liver count. Can a person still get pancreaitis after having the whole gallbladder taken out???

[DataCurator]

“I had my gall bladder out 3 years ago and my surgeon said that my GERD would probably get worse because of it!
He was right. I am due to have a Lap nissan on October 11th, so I guess this would answer your question!
Good luck!
Claire x”

[DataCurator]

Thank goodness I found this site, I had my Gall Bladder removed 2 years ago. In this time I have put on 2 stones mostly round my middle and stomach. I have always been slim as I exercise every day, but now I feel dumpy. 6 months after the operation I had terrible pain on the right, I started being sick, this lasted from December until August, I was frightened and wondered what was happening to me. Eventually I read an article on taking charcoal to help with digestive problems, it soaks up the acid and gets rid of the wind. It worked the pain went, thank goodness but I still get the bloats and have the runs, some days worse than others, and like the lady said how do you put on weight when the food is running through you? I was always very fit, I have a big dog which needs walking twice a day and I do Pilates every 2nd day. Now I feel dejected as excercise doesn’t seem to help. I watch what I eat even doing a diary to find out if its any food that makes a difference. No that didn’t help. It helps to know I am not the only one, but it has changed my life, I dare not go out of the door until I am empty, I feel sick if I do not eat often, I cannot eat a good meal, just small amounts. As was said why are you not warned that this will happen to you and what to take for it or how to help with the discomfort. Has anyone out there found help?Code:

[DataCurator]

I have GERD problems as well, the doctors in my town couldn’t figure it out. I had a HIDA scan test and my gall bladder was not working. There’s the problem! My gall bladder was removed with no difference, I still have a major GERD. I went to the MAYO clinic in Scottsdale they did and EGD and found Barrets in my esophagus so presently I am in the processs of having that repaired. I am going next week for another EGD and hopefully the Barrets is gone. Then they are going to schedule me for a 270′ Nissen. I hope that works better than the gall bladder diagnosis. I am tired of living like this, so I am ready for anything. A good friend of mine that I have known for 30 years had a Nissen about 8 years ago, said it was the best thing he ever did. He said the first 2 weeks was the roughest after that it just got better.

[DataCurator]

badly know English. But well I understand all man whom have removed a gall blader. Only that person which has tested this operation knows that it for horror. To me have removed a GB in September, 2003 and I till now cannot come in myself. I feel very badly, at me often ??????, the beginnings ?????? a stomach and an intestines, I cannot work, I my mental condition on a side. I in a condition of depression am constant. And too I do not know what to do{make}. My two children and only they rescue me from ideas on suicide….I have 32 old.

[DataCurator]

I am a 29 year old mother of three and I just had my GB removed as well. I started having back pain over a year ago and had MRI’s and Xrays done that all came out perfect. No doctor would believe me so I just dealt with the pain until I found one who believed me and started pain meds and physical therapy. Then, about 5 months ago I started getting chest pains that mostly occured when I had back pain. I thought I was having a heart attack or at least it felt like it. It could last anywhere from 20 minutes to 13 HOURS of excruciating pain. My doc did an EKG and an ECG which both came out fine. Then about a month and a half ago I got horribly sick. I got an attack that didn’t go away, it was going on 24 hours when I started throwing up nonstop. I got rushed to the hospital with sever acute pancreatitis. I was NPO for 6 days, got clear liquids for one, and developed severe pancreatitis again, only worse. I literally almost died, they had to put an NG tube in me and pump my stomach for a day and a half because gallstones apparently were blocking my bile duct (or this is what they said they thought caused it) and I have never been so sick in my life. I guess all the bile was in my stomach literally poisoning me and my liver. The doc said my numbers for liver enzymes and amylase and lipase (pancreas) were the worst he ever saw. I was NPO for another 12 days and then I finally had my surgery. I thought it was finally over and was SO ready to move on with my life. Reading all of your posts is pretty scary to me because I just know I am going through the same thing and I just had my gall bladder removed on 9/23/09, about 2 weeks ago! I had my first attack a few days later and attributed it to “trapped air” from the surgery since they pump air into you during the operation sometimes these symptoms can occur. Only it has been two weeks now and last night I had the worst attack EVER. I woke up with back pain and in my right side. Then the chest pains starting and they have never been so bad. I felt sick to my stomach and I cried harder than ever before. I didn’t think it could be worse than it used to be but now I know it CAN. It subsided after about 30 minutes but the pain was so horrific it felt like an eternity. All I could do was cry and curl up and pray for it to go away. I am terrified that there is more wrong with me. I don’t think that this episode was trapped air two weeks later, it doesn’t make sense. All I know is that I go to bed scared every night that I will wake up in this pain (it occurs mostly at night). I have already been through so much, they took my appendix in April thinking that was the problem. I guess it was a tiny bit infected but even they said after they took it that it wasn’t causing the huge amount of pain I was in that day. I just spent almost a month in the hospital away from my three small kids and went through an ERCP, a HORRIFFIC NG tube (just hope it never comes to that they are the worst thing ever), and had my GB removed. I have literally developed a phobia of needles because my veins are bad and they were changing my IV twice a day due to losing it, they even had to stick one in my toe because I ran out of places. I woke up during the ERCP when they were taking the thing out of my stomach and it was awful. I am terrified of having more of that done but fear I have no choice. And last but not least, I am so afraid of the pain. It feels good to talk to people who know because anyone else would not understand and considering me whiny or weak. I have always been strong and dealt with my pain as best I could but after a year of pain I can’t take it anymore. I just want to curl up and die sometimes when it is really bad, and now I am afraid it’s going to get worse after having my GB out! Please let me know if anyone has actually found out of a post GB surgery condition and was successfully treated for it……I could really use some hope right now. Good luck all.