r/altgallbladder

Hi folks, Friends, and Hotties!

I posted here a few months ago when I had just visited the emergency room and was seeking advice.

This Friday I will be having my gallbladder removed. It’s important to note I am expected to have some complications as the surgery will also be working to remove external scar tissue around my liver. I have EDS and Lipodemia, which both being connective tissues effects my internal organs. I waited 2 months and tried lots of holistic things but, my body needed it out and I’m having an AMAZING surgeon who specializes in these kids of connective tissues effects internal organ procedures!

I’ve also lost 70lbs which they believe is the reason for needing this procedure. So my advice to anyone on a GLP is get an ultrasound of this area check your enzymes and se did you have stones. They make a medicine that helps destroy them it’s just a long term medication. But I wish two years ago I started taking it, because I might be in this same boat now.

So with that in mind. What advice do you have post surgery? Foods to eat, ways to regulate my body, how to re start my GLP post 3 weeks off due to surgery. I’m scared I will never be able to lose weight again

Thank you my lovely friends 💜 and if you see this on or before June 12 send me some positive vibes ✨

I went for my drain removal today at 4 weeks post op, and they could not remove the drain because I have developed a new stone. I’ve been having episodes, and had hoped it was drain related. But unfortunately it is a new stone. Has this happened to anyone else? What happened next?

My drain removal was not with my original doctor, as I am out of town. They were not able to remove the stone today, so I’m waiting on call backs as to what happens next.

Also- I did not have this procedure w Dr S. But I’m curious what his post op procedures are, as far as ursodiol and…orange juice? I thought I read someone on here saying they were drinking OJ every day at his direction?

Had my gallbladder emergency removal surgery May 27th as I went to the ER on the 26th and they said I needed it out ASAP. I was added as an add on for surgery the next day and it was removed. They promised I’d feel sooo much better afterwards and I woke up screaming of pain. In fact I felt worse. Ten times worse. Nobody told us until hours later when my nurse checked my chart and realized I had gallstones stuck in my bile duct. My luck! So I had to have an ERCP the next day to sweep out the gallstones. They also put a stent in my pancreas as they were nervous I’d get pancreatitis.

I stayed in the hospital for 4 days to recover from all of us. My body was truly traumatized. And I’m young so everyone would say you’re young you’ll recover fast. Of course I’ve been walking and eating healthy to pass the gas and do what I can however I have extreme immense pain in my esophagus and chest and I get sharp excruciating pain in my upper left abdomen. I went in for my post op appointment today and my surgeon was honestly not a lot of help. She said the left side pain is probably trapped gas but could also be my pancreas and the stent and we won’t know until I get my xray. My xray is tomorrow but seriously, I was told I’d never have pain again and the 12 days since my surgery have been the longest and toughest and hardest days of my life. Everyday I wake up with pain. I try and go about my day and forget about it but it’s hard when it’s everyday and it hurts and no one will give you answers or help!

I am due to have my Gallbladder removed and I'm wondering about recovery time. I work as a patient facing Ward Clerk on a mental Health unit, some days I'm sitting at a desk a lot, other days I'm up and down letting patients and visitors in, carrying piles of patient notes. No day is the same here any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I had my gallbladder taken out in February of this year. Since then, I’ve had no appetite, I can hardly eat anything, I’m losing weight because of it, I’m nauseous all the time, and to top it all off it worsened my chronic pain syndrome.

I can barely work. I sit in my bed all day and do nothing because I’m so depressed. I lost my apartment. I lost my job. Is there an end to this?

I’ve been to 2 different emergency rooms this week with terrible pain, upper right side into my chest, haven’t been able to eat and barely have slept. The first er confirmed I have stones by ultrasound and ct but said it was a virus. Then I went to OBGYN who referred to a surgeon. I went to another er who said; your gallbladder is packed of stones and needs to come out. So now I wait 4 more days to see a surgeon. What are the chances they’ll deny taking it out? Do they schedule surgery quickly? I feel terrible.

It has taken my gastro months to figure out what's going on, and even then I wasn't really told anything definitive. I have a mildly dilated common bile duct with possible stricture, and something else going on with the intrahepatic biliary duct. No stones, no sludge. GI nurse says I need an ERCP but the risk of pancreatitis is terrifying

I also consulted with a general surgeon who said I may as well get a cholecystectomy because chances are a sphincterotomy will have to be done during ERCP that will result in the gallbladder "going bad" anyway, and it'll eventually have to come out.

The GI nurse says surgery would be overkill since my gallbladder seems healthy and doesn't need to come out. They talk as if the only next step is ERCP

Are there any other management of duct problems that are non-invasive??

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See below:

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Had the drain removed with Dr.S. No issues so far. Just noticed a small white thread kind of thing while changing the dressing today. Couldn’t pull it out fully. Is it some absorbable suture or something ?

Two past ultrasounds have indicated a single gallstone around 5mm. A scan one year ago showed a stone of 5.5mm and some tiny nodules which looked like polyps (around 2mm). Fast forward to this week (1.5 years later) and there's apparently no stone but a 7mm polyp.

What is happening here - seems implausible that both the stone disappeared AND the polyp grew 5mm over that time. Surely?

Should I ask for a rescan? Radiologist didn't ask me to move around to see if it moved. I have the ultrasound images from last scan.

Far far more worried about a polyp that a stone! Should I be?

I don't have gallbladder attacks. Just a dull ache now and then after fatty meals, alcohol or being dehydrated.

After delaying gallbladder surgery for almost 10 years, I finally got it done yesterday. I was diagnosed with an 18 mm stone back in 2016 and since it barely caused problems for years, I kept postponing surgery. Then December 2025 happened, around 20 days in hospital with the worst pain of my life, it genuinely felt like truck tyres were running over my right shoulder while someone stabbed my chest. Strong painkillers barely helped and after that I knew I couldn’t keep avoiding it. So yesterday I walked into OT around 4:30 PM, had surgery around 5 PM, woke up later with numb legs, shoulder pain, tubes attached everywhere, and absolutely no dignity left 😭 Today I’m sore, bloated, moving around slowly, celebrating every fart like an achievement, but honestly after years of fear and overthinking, I’m just glad I finally did it.

Oh and wait did I tell you it was 36 mm now 😭

Feel free to ask me anything, I am still on Hospital bed.

God bless you all, just go for it , don’t delay.

I'm in the process of considering this procedure and have a few questions that I missed during the consult.

1. The hole/opening in the gallbladder - how fast does it close after drain removal? Isn't that kinda dangerous to have an opening in the gallbladder that could leak bile? I don't quite understand the "channel" that is formed between the gallbladder/liver. Does anyone have a way to describe this?

2. My imaging shows multiple stones sub 5-8mm. I'm aware this may require a second look after the first procedure. However, does anyone know if smaller stones make for a less painful recovery? I'm just wondering if they don't have to be broken up, if there is less trauma to the inside of the gallbladder, and therefore less pain? Just a thought and curious if anyone has had smaller stones.

3. Has anyone done this with less than general anesthesia?

Thank you in advance for any insights

Been viewing the nogallstone.com site

I’m on day 8 post op and have a slight fever and body aches. I’ve left a message with the on call answering machine. Anyone else deal with this?

I’m curious for those of you who are at least a month post-drain removal, what’s life been like for you? Any positives or negatives you’re willing to share? Have you changed your diet or now eat whatever you want? Are the attacks fully gone? Is the pain gone?

Did anyone have a procedure with Dr S where he had to go in a second time? Based on my MRI he believes because of the number of stones I have it would be very likely he would need to go in a week after the first procedure.

Also anyone here from California who had the surgery? Would love to talk logistics with you!

I have had upper right abdominal pain for a couple years now. On and off and nothing severe. Had an ultrasound of my gallbladder years ago which was normal. Over the last month or two I have been having these “gallbladder attacks” 1-2 times a week. I get sharp severe 10/10 pain in right upper stomach that goes into my mid upper back. It is always in the evening and last for an hour or two.
I went to the ER recently due to an attack that had been close to three hours. Ultrasound came back normal besides enlarged liver and liver labs mildly elevated.
PCP ordered HIDA scan with EF to be done.
Got this completed a week ago. It took four hours for my gallbladder to show up so the EF was never completed.
I saw my surgeon today. She basically told me my HIDA scan was not normal, it should not take your gallbladder 4 hours to fill up, however with not having the EF completed she can’t tell me if this is 100% my gallbladder causing me these issues. She said she would remove it, but can’t guarantee it will fix the pain I have been having. I scheduled surgery for 6/12/26.

Wondering what you would do? Would you get it removed? Would you hold off since you are not 100% sure that’s what it is? She said doing another HIDA or an MRI she does not think would be beneficial at this time.

And if so, how fast was your recovery & improving symptoms?

What you can possibly do.

I drink Coca-Cola, Lime Lemonade juice, Eat citrus fruits, sour stuff etc, Kimchi.

Holding my breathe, so far so good.

Mild or very mild BAM is better than nothing IMO

Lowered cholesterol levels, no fissure nor harmorrhoids, empty stools, no need to squeeze.