Victim Statements

[DataCurator]

“Bile duct injury
Hi. This case is exactly the same as my husband. It’s been 2.5 yrs and everyday we’re dreading he’ll develop strictures. The surgeon from the tertiary hospital said it could happen within 10 yrs. Not only this, but how about the other organs affectedl like the liver ang lungs. They got burned during the exposure to bile for a prolonged time. Remeber the bile is an irritant and corrosive. Gastroenterologist describe it as pouring acid to an open wound. we have an ongoing legal case. Hope you got a good lawyer since your case is good. You ended with a repair surgery. These surgeons don’t take time to be really careful and patients suffer or die at the end. They promote this concept of bile leak are “”just a complication of surger””. When a surgeon cuts or clips a part of the body that is not supposed to be cut, then they deserve to be sued. They took an oath to do no harm to a patient.”

[DataCurator]

my daughter,13,bile leak post lap choli aug. 2009 for 10 days. spent 4 weeks at childrens hospital. a stent to the liver was placed with 2 jackson pratt drains in her abdomen, with a central line and TPN.missed 7 weeks of school.contiues with severe abdominal pain,dizziness. was told by 2 law firms unable to sue,is this fair?she has her whole life ahead of her with pain

• This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by DataCurator.

[DataCurator]

I have been all over the internet reading about gall bladders. You would think I would have something better to do. I had my gall bladder removed when I was 18 years old 38 years ago. I also had the knife as the removal tool. I had no idea what a gall bladder was let alone know what the surgery entailed, however, I would have died if the thing wasn’t removed as I had large gall stones the size of Cocoa Puffs as my grandmother put it; and infection. I had run to the hospital at least once every two weeks for nearly two years and they would shoot me with morphine that didn’t help one bit, the pain was still there but I was too doped up to complain about it. So really had gall stones when I was 15 or 16. At the time my doctor told me I was the youngest person he had ever diagnosed with this. I see many posts now that are from very young people and in fact my own son at the age of 23 had to have his removed. I am sure that it has to do with the diet we are now subjecting our stomachs too. For all of you who have just had surgery it does not get better, and I hope that someone finds something to make it better. I don’t care what anyone tells you…if you take a part out of your body something is going to suffer. Remember when tonsils and adenoids where removed with no thought at all? Well they say the tonsils and adenoids are not needed … false, now they won’t take either out unless you have a long history of problems. I just look at it like this, everything in my body must have a reason to be there cause I don’t think we have spare parts. I take my car to get it fixed and when they fix it something else breaks so is this not what happens to our body as well? I have had all kinds of symptoms after the surgery. One that is most prevalent is the eating and running to the bathroom. Now you would think if you eat and then do a 2 minute jog to the potty you would not be gaining weight … which leads me to symptom 2 … weight gain and not only that; it’s weight that seems to be centered over the spot where the freaking gall bladder was removed. Mid-stomach area. It is uncomfortable when you sit, lay down and it feels just like someone stuck a bunch of wood under your ribs. I haven’t felt this way since I had kids and I know all you woman know what it feels like to have a kids foot under your rib cage! This is the same feeling only worse. Symptom 3 and this one is the strangest of all … sometimes when I grab for something and use my stomach muscles I feel like someone took a pair of pliers and pulled my guts out, it’s like something dropping from my ribs to my lower stomach and the pain is horrible. I was told this is a muscle spasm around the surgery … WHAT is that about? Symptom 4 at times I feel like I can’t get up, I get depressed and tired to the bone, so tired it hurts if that is possible and I believe it has to do with my liver after having a few blood tests reveal that it is not working well, I don’t drink much so I haven’t fried my liver. I have a lot of muscle and joint pains that keep me from doing certain types of workouts. My vitamin D is almost non existent again this may cause the tired feelings too. Year after year I keep thinking it’s going to get better but year after year it gets worse and worse. If I keep going I will be a puddle of doo doo in another few years. Doctors will not or cannot give me help so I really don’t understand why they would take something out unless they knew how to give a person some kind of quality of life. Yes the pain was bad when I had the attacks but at least the in between times I was normal. Anyone who says that your life does not change after this surgery is a nut case … just imagine only having one of these symptoms, the most common, stomach dropping … I have totally stopped going out to eat because of the embarrassment of running to the bathroom and waiting until everyone leaves in order not to scare them all away with the explosion and waiting makes your eyes pop out and the pain is excruciating to say the least. Just imagine you can never go anywhere and eat without this happening. It’s not always just food that does it either like when I first had the surgery, now it could happen if a drink a glass of juice or even water so it has gotten worse. If I knew then what I know now I think I would rather have been put out of my misery.

[DataCurator]

“I had my Gallbladder out years ago. The Dr. gave me the nuclear tests and said it was only working @ 15% and needed it out, so I went to a much larger hospital to have it done and the surgeon said it was a healthy gallbladder, which upset me BADLY.
Long story short I had mine done laproscopic and they put the clips in and ever since I too have had terrible pain in my upper right side under the rib cage. Today is really bad for some reason. I also have been on Nexium 40mg daily since,
I thought maybe my liver was shot cuz I do drink but only light beer, my retired Doctor told me light beer or beer in general does not cause ALOT of liver damage it’s usually hard liquor that causes the damage.
I am glad I found this post, it has helped me just knowing I am not alone. THANKS EVERYONE !!!! :-)”

[DataCurator]

i had my gallbladder removed in Febuary of this year and now i have stomach pain and heartburn EVERYDAY the Doctors say they dontknow whats causing my pain im also in the menepausal state most time my live-in partner thinks im crazy oh and i also get constipated or only have bowel movements about every 2 – 3 days unless i take a laxitive buti think the constipation may be because i take norco for the pain in my stomach DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE THIS PROBLEM PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU DO THAT HELPS

[DataCurator]

I’m 33 years old and it has been 3 years since I had my GallBladder removed!! I have a 5 year old and 3 year old, my pain started 2 weeks after having my 3 year old. New baby and a 18 month old with and a Mommy who lost sleep during the night because i would wake-up from severe pain. I seeked help from my primary doctor and obgyn and both were not all interested in helping me or giving me a clue as to what was my issue!! I was so very desperate at the time because I didnt know what was wrong me but the surgery was the probably the worst thing that could of happened to my body!! When I went to the ER after experiencing severe pain for about 8 months and was finally told that my pain was from having GallStones, which my primary doctor couldnt or wouldnt diagnose, she was treating me for acid reflux, heartburn and irritable bowel. In the ER I was told were gonna schedule you for surgery and remove your gallbladder, you dont need it anyways and after you’ll be pain free!! I didnt even question it, after not sleeping for about 4 days because of the pain and not eating right, I was very delirious and the doctor diagnosed me just after hearing my symptoms and with his diagnosis cofirmed with the ultrasound, I was like I’ll be fine, he said I dont need the Gallbladder anyways!! Well….I wish I was more informed and given all the side effects and long term health risks!! I too was not given a list or diet to follow after my surgery, it was just the normal instructions diet after post-op but nothing regarding gallbladder removal!! Now I suffer from severe diarrhea, bloatting and constipation, oh and pain in my right side just under my ribs and I wakeup filling cramps in my stomach, that make me feel that something is severly wrong with me because I just dont feel normal anymore!! Today I was asked if I’m pregnant again because my stomach looked so big, “I mean so rounded from top to bottom”….I was like thankyou for that very detailed description of my stomach!! but NO, Im not!!! My stomach looks like I’m about 4-5 months preggers!! I find myself buying baby doll blouses and dresses because i need to hide my stomach!! I will try some your suggestions and see if helps!! Thankyou for all the info!! God Bless You All

[DataCurator]

“I am not a huge fan of this medication in general and have used it twice (it does work) after my GB surgery but you might try Cholestramine for diarrhea – I was told this type of diarrhea post GB surgery is all too common (yet all too UNCOMMONLY mentioned before the surgeons operate) and is bile salt diarrhea – due to extended bile going into the intestines. I was also told the liver and digestive system will adjust – whatever that means – but can take up to a year? In your case that’s long since past.

I do not have the right sided pain you describe but I didn’t have stone pain to begin with, just chronic nausea and a low functioning GB. The Cholestramine will cause constipation if used frequently, which is not great news but many people who’ve posted about this on other forums swear this drug has ‘saved them’ from diarrhea misery. I, like you, have spent countless hours and agonies going to numerous doctors seeking answers to my misery. They all seem perplexed or have an idea as to what mine is, yet nothing has solved it. I am so angry and frustrated that I still keep trying to find solutions, not willing to stop just yet. I’m afraid when I do, I’m done – I mean done with more than just searching. Life is to be lived, not suffered.”

[DataCurator]

I have made the biggest mistake of my life. I had my gallbladder removed, which I felt rushed into by the surgeon, because I had polyps (very small). For some stupid reason I listenend to his bad advise and got it removed. I feel TERRIBLE!! I’m experiencing terrible digestion problems, which I never had before. I have taken enzymes, etc. all to no avail. All of this is a result of the gallbladder removal. Is there such a thing as a gall bladder transplant? I can’t live like this…I would definitely have it done. I know this may sound drastic to you (but not to me)…live in my shoes for one day and tell me how drastic it really is.

[DataCurator]

“I got my gall bladder removed about a year and a half ago. I’ll be 22 in August. I ate healthy as a kid and apart from the occasional fast food and sodas kept to a decent diet when I got older. I never went through a heavy drinking phase or anything else… so of course when I started having severe stomach pains the last thing that came to mind was gall bladder issues. I suffered for over a year with the pains on and off. I thought that it was perhaps a food allergy (my friend suggested this because he suffered from pains in the stomach) because I’ve always had horrible allergies. I cut back on dairy food and started taking allergy pills, but nothing helped. I came online and researched possibilities and thought that perhaps it was an ulcer so I began taking tums which would help the pain a bit. The last six months prior to my surgery were absolute misery. I didn’t have insurance, so I put off going to the doctor for as long as I could. I was literally living on vegetables and fruit, but still had the pains on a regular basis (up to 7-8 times a week prior to my surgery). Thankfully, when the pains started becoming much more regular, my insurance became active. I made a trip to a doctor immediately who prescribed medicine for ulcers and sent me to get an ultra sound. A day after my ultra sound I got a call telling me I needed to see a specialist immediately so that I could make an appointment for surgery. I couldn’t even wait the two weeks and ended up in the emergency room and had it removed the next day.

After the surgery I had a real hard time getting rid of the gas and was in absolute agony. I didn’t go to the bathroom for 5 days or so, and the gas was just NOT leaving my body. My doctor told me to start taking Sienna which has helped, but I still have not returned to normal. I have to take up to 8 Sienna a day in order for it to be effective. If I go a day without it, I end up EXTREMELY bloated and just exhausted. Unfortunately, the Sienna makes my stomach cramp horribly so I find it hard to take when I know I’m not going to be near a bathroom or am going to have to be really active. My hair is also extremely brittle. I’ve tried everything. I’ve even gone to the salon and had them deep condition it quite a few times, but no matter what it doesn’t work. I try drinking water, but find it hard. Actually… I find drinking anything hard. I take two sips and I feel like my stomach is going to explode. It’s miserable and I really hate this. I still have no idea how my gall bladder got bad, but I have theories. I used the shot for birth control (the one that you don’t have your period on for a year) and I honestly think that did it for me. I used the shot about 2-3 years prior to my gall bladder, and since then my period has been irregular. I hear the hormones can affect digestion… so yeah.

I’m just furious because I was never told how severe it can be after surgery. I guess it doesn’t matter, because I doubt I had a choice. What I really think it falls back on is our society. We preach so much about being little stick figures, but no one is preaching about just being HEALTHY. Issues with the gall bladder can easily be avoided if people are educated.”

[DataCurator]

I had my gall bladder out last month. Went back to the doc. yesterday asked him about drinking alcohol now if it would make me sick like I have been reading on here. He told me he has done hundreds of these surgerys and has never heard of anyone having problems with drinking alcohol. Said his brother and mother had their gall bladders removed and they both still drink. He even told me before I left to return to my normal life and to go have a drink it wouldnt make me sick. I haven’t yet but being that he is a doctor that takes gall bladders out all the time and has never had anyone to complain about drinking and being really sick since their surgery I think that most of the people must have another underline problem. Good luck to all.

[DataCurator]

Hello first of all i feel you. I to had my gallbladder removed in 4-2007. It’s been hell every since,I’m in pain and i also throw up. In the beginning i couldn’t hold liquids down yet alone food. The Dr. had me take all kinds of test and all my test came back good, but they had no explanation why this was happening to me. I went to a nutritionist that recommended that i take enzymes that would allow the food that i ate to digest. I’m better and it does help but it’s still a battle.

[DataCurator]

“I too lived with the pain under my right rib cage that radiates into my back for over 7 years before a healthcare provider could tell me what it was (they tried to claim it was because of my broken rib on that side). She told me it was adhesions from the gallbladder surgery that have attached my bowels. Just about everytime I eat I am in pain. She explained that if there is alot passing through my bowels or I have gas the bowels expand which damage the liver. This damage causes something similar to bruising, which is why the pain does not go away for several days. I find that if I eat small meals, take a Beano, I can alleviate some of the issues. However the pain is getting worse and due to the pain I wake up exhausted most days.

I am amazed that more healthcare providers are not more familiar with this condition based off the number of those suffering from it.

Most of all I am glad to know I am not crazy and don’t have some phantam pain – that it is real. I am going to look into the Nanofiber Biodegradeable Barrier though.”

[DataCurator]

OMG, lsitening to this makes me crazy. My mom had her gallbladder Laperscopically removed 4 weeks ago, they said it was an easy procedure…HA! She too, had horrible bloating and gas issues and PAIN that was beyond imagination. She stayed 4 days in the hospital and they found what they thought may have been a LEAK so they gave her a blood transfusion and sent her home. She was not getting better, PAIN and nausea severe weakness, fever & chills, sleepiness and not much appetite. Finally after demanding that her Surgeon listen to me about this PAIN, symptoms and lack of recovery and to quit worrying about how mcuh darvocet she was taking, he had a nother blood test done. WELL, she was sent to ER and admitted, CT scan revealed a leak with blood around it and an infection!! They inserted a drain and she was put on high doses of antibiotics for 4 more days in hoispital. Don’t be fooled by those symptoms people! PAIN is a sign of a problem. I would love to see these surgeons suffer through this and then see how they would react. This has been the worst experience, and if We had the choice to do it all over agian, our entire family & friends say NO WAY. We would have explored other alternatives before doing this surgery. BEWARE of this surgey, it has lots of bad side effects and complications!!!!!

[DataCurator]

Reading all these replies has been so helpful. I had my GB out 10 years ago and to be fair for the first 8 it’s been great. My weight has fluctuated but it has all my life. 2 years ago I suddenly started getting diarrhoea, I’ve been investigated for all sorts of things and am still undergoing investigation. Not once has my dr associated it with my lost GB but reading everyone’s symptoms on here it’s exactly what I’ve got

[DataCurator]

I can’t believe that this kind of things can happen in modern medicine. I had pain in my abdomen. It has lasted for a few months. Eventually doctors told me that I have to remove my gallbladder. The procedure was successful. But a week later symptoms has returned. Now, they say that I have sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. I can’t believe this is happening! What now?