Gallbladder Laparascopic Surgery 2 wks before wedding?
 

I am new to the site. For the last 10 days I have not been able to keep any food down except liquids. After a terrible ER experience and a upper GI endoscopy, I am now being told I very likely need to have gallbladder surgery (they think gallstones are because of rapid weight loss). I know this is a laparascopic procedure and not the worst possible surgery to have but I am getting married August 26th! Has anyone had this procedure and can you tell me if you think it would be totally ridiculous to have this surgery two weeks before the wedding. I know my dr. will say the procedure is easy-breezy no big deal, but i want to hear from someone who has had it. Will I be swollen or will my dress fit? If I wait until after the wedding, then I have to either cancel my honeymoon to Italy which will be really sad and expensive or risk ending up in the ER there. Really want to hear from people who have had the surgery (or anyone who just feels sorry for me :))

P.S. Worst part is no weight loss on liquid diet AT ALL. Definitely not fair

I had that surgery in mid-2003. As I recall, two weeks afterward I was still terribly sore, but not overly swollen. You may be okay for the wedding, but honestly I would recommend trying your best to reschedule the honeymoon, or else you may not have a very good time.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! *gentle hug*

I had it too. I was back to work in 2 - 3 days. I think you'll be fine. Maybe see if they can move the surgery up. I'd rather be a little sore in ITALY that miss out! Plus, who wants to be miserable on their wedding day. The surgery offers much relief.

I had the surgery a few years ago too. I was back to work within a week and felt fine. I agree with Sandi I would see if I could move the surgery up and get it done and get some relief. Good Luck!

I had this surgery when i was 19. yep 19 (i worked at KFC at the time and ate there too hehe) The worst it was soar was that first week. Soar and bloated. But Advil and Tylenol were ok to take so it wasn't that terribly bad. You might be a little soar on honeymoon. If you area quick healer and recoup quickly then you will be ok. But I doubt it would be anything so painful that you couldn't enjoy yourself

I haven't had gallbladder surgery... yet. In April of 2005, I had a major gallbladder attack, went to ER, was set up for an ultrasound and then told I was full of gallstones. This was the week before finals!!! The surgeon gave me 2 options: Have surgery (and miss all my finals, therefore having to make up everything later) with the possibility that they couldn't do it laproscopically because of my size, but wouldn't know till they got in there; or take antibiotics to help with the inflamation.
I opted for the antibiotics - which the surgeon then told me that if it wasn't better in a few days, I'd end up having surgery.
Well, they worked; I still have my gallbladder; and I have had only 1 gallbladder attack since then (on Thanksgiving).
Ask your doctor if taking an antibiotic for the inflammation would be worth a try; certainly it can buy you some time. In the meantime, do your best to avoid anything fatty.

Your doctor will be the best judge of whether the surgery can be postponed. In some cases there can be a danger of perforation or blockage of the bile ducts in the liver, which can be very serious indeed. If you decide to postpone the surgery and go ahead with the wedding and honeymoon, you might run the risk of having another attack while away from home - which could be very scary.

Perhaps you could go ahead with the surgery, wedding and honeymoon but get some kind of travel insurance in case you aren't well enough to go on the trip.

I had my gallbladder removed laproscopically about ten years ago (after losing weight quickly on Nutrisystem - another good reason to lose weight slowly!) I was pulling weeds in the garden a week later and felt pretty good two weeks after, but as they say "your mileage may vary".

You will be very bloated immediately after surgery as they fill your abdominal cavity up with air, but this subsides within a couple of days.

I have just a teensy tiny scar on my upper abdomen (less than 1/4") and one in my belly button that isn't visible.

I hope everything works out well for you. :hug:

i had mine out when i was 21 .. and i was sore for a week .. mind ya you may not feel up to doin any line dancing or jigs on ya wedding day ..but ya should be ok. As far as how fast ya heal .. it really depends on how active you are ..how healthy .. i found the more i got up and moved around the better i felt .. it was just that first 30 minutes after waking up that i wished someone would beat me unconcious again... but after i figured out if i would get up and move i would feel alot better... the better it was.. the first 4 days were the worst...by a week i was doin good .. by two weeks i think i jus had a twinge here and there .. but if i were you i would get in and get it over with .. nothin worse then endin up in an ER in a foreign country .. talk about a mood killer for ya honeymoon!! either way .. good luck! and Congrats!

Thanks for all your replies and support! Good to hear that some people who have had the surgery think it is not a totally ridiculous idea to have the surgery before the wedding. It might be worth it to make me feel better, but I am worried if there were a serious complication or conversion to open surgery, than that would be a huge investment of many thousands of dollars down the drain, like if I couldn't even stand up at my own wedding. (I am a worrier--plus I need to wear a corset for my dress!) I don't think they will be able to move the surgery up, I live in a big city and given that in their reasonable perspective an emergency is being near-death not an upcoming wedding, I haven't had much luck getting them to move things along.
I have a few days to think it over and decide which is the lesser of two evils.
I will try to sell my dr. on the antibiotics idea--thanks Amanda. My fiance speaks Italian really really fluently so maybe I will just risk it--would be a good story for the grandkids :)

Don't Worry
 

My sister had this surgery 3 years ago when she was 250 lbs., she was full of gallstones, and they were still able to do it laproscopically. She walked out of the hospital 4 hours after the operation. She was slightly sore for about a week and then she was fine.

One thing to note: Without a gall bladder you will still get sick to your stomach if you eat fatty foods. You won't have the bile that the gall bladder produces.

You'll be fine for the wedding trust me...just get it out ASAP!! Happy wedding.

I had mine taken out when I was 18. They decided to just take it out because I was so young and figured it'd just be back to bother me. I was ready to walk out on my own after surgery....they weren't having none of that and made me use a wheelchair lol I was up and cleaning the house on my third day after. Everything healed quickly. The cut they made below my belly button took longer and was the one that was most sore. Don't try to eat much for the first few days after...you'll end up feeling horrible and bloated because of all the air they use for your tummy in surgery. I was really hungry and tried to eat a whole hamburger, big no no. Good luck, you'll be fine :D

Get it out!! I had mine done in April and it was the greatest surgery ever! I have had 3 c sections and this was a breeze!! The next morning I was sore but I was ok to walk over to my neighbors house and get my rotten dog that ran away. AFter 2 weeks I was fine. I think you will be ok. It did take a good month for the larger incision to heal compelety but that is my only complaint. Honestly, I am a weanie and this surgery was a breeze! I would rather have another c section then another gall bladder attack and I was getting them once a week.

DON'T POSTPONE it if you can get it done now! Seriously!!! I had mine out on a Tuesday afternoon and was home that evening, and was up and about on Wednesday morning, and right as rain by Wednesday evening. If you wait, the BIG problem will be that you could have an attack at any time, like, the night before your wedding, or on your honeymoon!!!! Get it done! You'll most likely be fine!

I understand why everyone says to take it out... but I still say that if you can hold off, you may not need it removed at all. Like I said, it has been over a year and a half since I was told I needed surgery, I put it off and haven't had problems since.
Either way, you risk not being better by your wedding day or having to deal with gallbladder attacks. It could be that you already passed a stone and will be fine. Don't forget that gallbladder attacks do vary in severity, and I guess it is up to you how much pain you can tolerate if it should happen again - if you can tolerate it, you may have another one and just be able to sleep it off.
If you opt not to have surgery before your wedding, it is imperative that you avoid fatty foods... eat as clean as possible and cut as much fat out as possible, also absolutely no fried foods! At least this can reduce your risk of another attack.
As a side note, about 16 years ago when my dad went through rapid weight loss, he had gallbladder attacks a few nights a week for a year - never went to a doctor, never had it removed, and it got better on its own.... Again it depends on what kind of pain tolerance you have.
Just make sure that you discuss with your doctor ALL your options, and what the outcome might be if you simply did nothing. The first thing they usually suggest is surgery without a thought to what works for the patient... so make sure you go over all possible options.

If you're having trouble keeping food down, I'd say have it taken out. Honest to God, it was one of the easiest medical procedures I have ever had. I was sore for two days from the incisions (literally). No swelling, no infection. I was up and around after a couple days. You just need competant staff. The worst part was the shoulder gas. They use some kind of gas to fill up your inside so they don't damage other organs, and that can get trapped between your shoulder blades. It didn't cause any bloating, but it was rather painful for a few days. With some walking and alot of water, it dissipates faster. You also have to avoid fatty/greasy foods after it is done. Since you no longer have what helps your body break it down, your liver has to work twice as hard (maybe even moreso) and it can be extremely painful to eat fatty foods! And embarrassing, you get the 'other' type of gas from it.

If you are experiencing gallstones, and one escapes from your liver, you could have my experience. My liver (again, literally) was shutting down because a gallstone was blocking my bile duct. I could have died, and ended up having an ERCP. They shoved a tube down my throat, cut part of my bile duct and removed a gallstone. The recovery from that was more painful than the recovery from the lap gallbladder removal.

All I can say, is it will just get worse. You might be able to put it off for a while, but there will always be the possibility that it might creep up. I'd say take the chance of mild bloating in your wedding dress, rather than the chance of a major flair up while on your honey moon. Having my wisdom teeth out was more uncomfortable than having my gallbladder out. Discuss your options, but removal, IMO, is generally the best way to go.

I agree with Altari - it's not just about being able to stand the pain. There can be some serious effects if gallstones get lodged in your bile ducts. That being said, the best person to speak to and take advice from is your doctor. People have different experiences depending on the severity of their gallbladder disease. None of us at 3FC are "experts" on the subject unless, of course, they are a gastroenterologist and I'm sure if they are they'd advise you to talk to your doctor about whether it's safe to wait.

I had mine taken out in 2001. I was 2 1/2 months post op from a c-section when they took mine out. I had it taken out on a Thursday morning and I went bowling on Sunday night. I was a little sore on Thurs. night and Fri. but felt better on Sat. and by Sunday I felt ok again. I will warn you though that after a gall bladder removal you may experience what is called "dumping syndrome". About 80% of people that have the surgery go through it. It's a sudden and immediate urge to go to the bathroom. And as someone who's been through it, when the urge hits you better be within range of a bathroom cause you won't be able to wait. If this does happen Immodium works like a charm. It was my lifesaver for about 2 weeks after the surgery, especially if I had to leave the house. As far as swelling there is minimal swelling after surgery but it's gone within 3 days so you'll be ok there. Until you decide to have the surgery you'll need to avoid pork products like the plague as they are incrediably hard for your body to digest and can bring on very bad attacks. Also avoid highly processed foods like hot dogs and high fat foods. These can also bring on attacks. Good luck and congrats on the wedding. I hope everything works out for you.

My 2 cents...I had mine out when I was 19 and it was a breeze. 6 weeks later hubby had his out and they tried laproscopically but couldn't get it and had to cut him. It's a decision they make on the table. I am not trying to scare you but if its your wedding day you could end up miserable because you are sore etc. Like someone else said eat a very bland diet and schedule when you come back. BEST OF LUCK in what ever you decide.

I had mine out at the age of 27. And I was meant to have it laprascopically. I actually wanted open surgery because of my size and I was worried about the risks of laprascopic surgery at my size (I was 262lbs then). Anyway my very posh and opinionated surgeon said "don't be silly i do it keyhole and that's all there is to it". So I wake up after surgery, and felt like i had been cut open like the Christmas turkey, and I had! He converted the op to open surgery and he let me say "I told you so" before I threw up and went back to sleep.

Because they converted I was in hospital a week, and off work for 4 weeks, then on light duties for 8 weeks.

Check with your travel insurance whether you can postpone the holiday should you have complications (assuming you took out travel insurance when you booked your honeymoon)

I had mine out in 2005 after repeated HORRIBLE attacks. I would recommend getting it out asap to avoid those attacks. I was back to work after a week to a very physical factory job....no problem. But everyone recovers at different speeds. Good luck with your wedding!

While I appreciate what Buckettgirl says, the difficulty in waiting to have it out is that you might have an emergency that requires full surgery, and not laparoscopy -- if the duct becomes blocked, your gall bladder can infect, and in this case, it may not be possible to remove it laparscopically. This happened to a friend of mine on vacation - she had a sudden, extremely painful attack that caused her to drive off the road. She was medievac'd to a hospital, and underwent emergency surgery. She has been left with a 6-inch scar on her midsection and a 3-week recovery time. She, too, had previous attacks, and was eating low-fat foods to avoid surgery. Had she taken her doctor's advice and removed it before it became an emergency, she would have been better off. SO, if you have a known gall-bladder problem, and there is the recommendation to take it out, and it can be done with a minimally invasive procedure, then go for it. Why chance it?

I wouldn't wait - the surgery itself is very straight-forward, and within a week you'll be feeling like normal. The others who've mentioned that postponing could cause other problems are correct - that's what happened to me.

I had a gallstone attack that was HORRIBLE...but once the pain subsided, everything seemed fine and I didn't worry about it. But then, over a period of a week or so, I noticed that my urine was getting almost fluorescent, and the whites of my eyes were yellowing. Almost overnight I had extreme jaundice, and went to my doctor who sent me straight to the ER. It turns out that a gallstone had blocked my bile duct, and I needed the surgery immediately as tests showed that my liver function was severely impaired as a result. The surgeon told me afterwards that there was a very good chance I could have died that weekend (went to doctor on the Friday) of liver failure had I not been seen, that's how bad it was (sounds dramatic, I know - but it really was that serious). And I wasn't in pain or anything - just yellow and knew that something wasn't right.

Now, this isn't to say that this will happen to you if you wait - just that, with gallstones, there's always a CHANCE that this could happen. If your doctor thinks it should come out, I'd get it out - if he thinks it could wait, well, that's between you and him/her to decide. But if the ball were in my court, I'd go ahead with the surgery, because provided you take it easy the first couple of days afterwards, everything should be just fine for your wedding - you'll likely still have some bruising on your abdomen, but it's not like anyone will see it.

Thanks everyone SO much, I was SO full of anxiety this weekend I could hardly stand it going over scenarios in my head over and over. Turns out, I do not have gallstones, I have polyps which are normally completely benign and only sometimes cause symptoms. They are very very small so dr. is not concerned about malignancy and a wait and see approach seems very appropriate. As for not keeping food down, the dr. thinks I have gastroparesis which is probably only marginally related to the gallbladder issue [I have other health conditions which can explain this][possibly this is why the polyps are causing me pain somehow] Just started Zelnorm to help empty my stomach and small bowel and so far, I already feel a little better. Have swallowed two potatoes and an english muffin in one evening. PROGRESS!!!! Thanks again so much everyone! At least I may be able to get down at least the appetizer on my wedding day and I will not have to cancel the honeymoon [even if I can't eat the pasta]. Still no significant weight loss from the not eating--so disappointing but maybe if things start moving it will show some weight loss. :carrot: This carrot is extremely cute even if I cannot yet eat carrots.

Oh that's good news! Well, not great news that you have polyps, but if the time comes they can be zapped by colonoscopy which is better than having a laprascopic surgery.

I was really worried for you! I've never been to Italy, and as I live my life vicariously through other people, would hate you to miss out on a gorgeous honey moon! Do we get wedding pics???

Yay! ::happy dance::

I'm another that had mine out about 12 years ago after rapid weight loss on Nutrisystem. I didn't have a choice. I had major pain and vomiting constantly. After the first tests they told me they couldn't find any gall stones and started looking at a possible ulcer. I later got a call that said, I, in fact did have A STONE that measured 17 millimeters in diameter. They couldn't see it the first time because it took up the whole gall bladder! The doctor said he had to crush it before he could even get it out, but no threat of ever "opening me up." You never know what is going on for sure.

The procedure was easy, out in one day and back to work within the week. I have never had a problem with bloating, pain or nausea, no matter what I ate. The doctor told me the liver is fine on it's own.

Don't postpone. My gallbladder trouble was not diagnosed promptly (The doc kept sending me home saying nothing was wrong) so I ended up in the hospital as an emergency. It took 3 days to get me well enough for surgery. Not a route I'd recommend. Even so, I was starting to feel human again after 2 weeks. Still sore, but back at work and moving around well.

Yippee! No gall bladder problem!!! Thanks for keeping us updated. Where are you going exactly in Italy on your honeymoon?

2.5 weeks to go
 

hi everyone, thanks for the support! Just to clarify, I have gallbladder polyps, not colon polyps---who knew there even was such a thing? But I think my dr. is good and he is following me closely and is convinced I am okay to travel. We are just working on getting my stomach empyting again. I think down the road I will have the surgery to get rid of the pain but apparently it doesnt pose a danger of blockage like gallstones do.

Anyway, we are going to Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, etc....for two and a half weels. I have never been to Italy and am getting very excited! 2.5 weeks to the wedding! thank god I am not lying on an operating table :)

So sorry to hear everyone's gallbladder horror stories. Dr.'s can be so evil. The first thing that happened to me when I went to the ER three weeks ago was the intern came in and accused me of eating my own hair! He said I had a hairball in my stomach. Turns out I had eaten spinach the night before and I wasn't digesting food very well....but when i tried to offer the explanation he was like "Oh, okay, fine, let's say aliens put it there! Can you believe that? Now I think it is funny but at the time I was beside myself

I'm so glad you don't have gallstones and I hope the polyps go away on their own.

Talk about dopey doctors. I once went to the emergency room with bad stomach cramps and the doc said I probably had a 'split spleen'. It turned out to be food poisoning! Good thing they didn't take my spleen out anyway. :rolleyes:

Have a great wedding and honeymoon!