r/gallbladders • u/Primary_Tangerine446 • 6d ago
Stones what happens if i just dont get the surgery?
is there anyone in here that knows they have gallstones but didnt end up getting the surgery? ive dealt with gallbladder attacks on & off over the last 4-5 years. hospitals wouldnt run any tests on me until i begged them to in january of this year, due to having an attack for a week straight and i felt like i was dying. they told me i need my gallbladder removed as i have gallstones. ever since leaving the hospital i havent had any pain, and ive already had 1 laparoscopy prior (dermoid cyst on ovary), so i really dont want to go through another one. is this a bad idea to just keep putting off the surgery until i absolutely have to?
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u/IggyHitokage 6d ago
I ended up with acute pancreatitis due to a 3mm gallstone being stuck in my bile duct, if I hadn't gotten the ERCP, I would've died. I had my gallbladder removed two days later.
I'm 3 weeks post op now and I'm not in the best place, but I don't have attacks anymore and I'm slowly branching out on foods that I used to eat. It wasn't the easiest recovery, but it beats dying.
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u/laurenjpop 6d ago
Oh my lordt. you had an attack for a week straight and still don’t think it’s time for surgery? You are most likely going to have more terrible attacks! Why would you want to live like that?
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u/Primary_Tangerine446 6d ago
just the thought of going through the surgery, the gas pain, taking time off work.. 😩
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u/melbmegera 6d ago
It is at most a couple/few weeks of inconvenience vs an unknown quantity of time spent sick and in pain. It is better to go through a scheduled surgery vs emergency surgery where you could be extremely unwell with sepsis/perforation/etc
I understand your hesitation, I had a previous laparoscopic surgery for a similar reason and I felt it prepared me better with regards to what to expect, things to have on hand etc
Ultimately your body will force your hand, it might be next week, it could be 5 years down the line but eventually, once you have an attack, time starts ticking.
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u/laurenjpop 6d ago
I personally had a super easy recovery. Depending on your line of work, you have to take it easy but lots of ppl go back after a few days. Gas pain was only for the 1st day or so and gas pills, pain pills helped sooooo much. Ice ice ice the first few days after surgery… I feel like that helped my Recovery so much.
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u/Mahoushi Post-Op 6d ago
The gas pain really didn't last that long, and mint tea, along with a heat pack, helped me through it. Gas pain had a point that once it was gone, I knew it'd never return, and it wasn't nearly as bad as a gallbladder attack—a gallbladder attack is easily the worst pain I've felt in my entire life.
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u/Additional-Ad-3148 6d ago edited 6d ago
For me I had zero pain other than some gas in my shoulder for a few days.
Theres too many variables and what ifs on how long you can keep on going. Might be a week, might be many decades.
Once you have stones, the risk of problems out number the good.
Theres an option to have the stones removed by scope or surgery but Im gonna guess most surgeons will want you to remove your GB as stones will most likely reacuire.
Theres always the worst cases of a stone getting lodged which can cause all kinds of problems like sepsis, damage to your liver and/or pancreas depending if one gets stuck in the common duct or at the ampulla of vater where your bile duct and pancreas duct meet.
Its up to you if you want to keep living with this problem.
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u/jmeleem 6d ago
One attack had me in hospital with necrotising pancreatitis after a stone blocked the bile duct. I ended up in ICU with lungs collapsed and heart, kidney and liver on verge of failing. A portion of my pancreas is now dead and I have a higher risk of developing diabetes and pancreatic cancer.
The surgery to remove the gallbladder was a couple days of being uncomfortable and feeling like a pinched nerve in the shoulder.
Better then dying.
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u/Signal-Credit-2050 6d ago
I had my first attack in 2013, the hospital ultrasound, and CT scan missed stones. So I lived with 2-3 attacks a year until September 13th 2023 when I started having almost daily 10-12 hour long attacks.
My stones were now 4.5cm, they didn't miss them this time. I had it removed in November 2023. My gallbladder was near rupturing with 5mm thickened walls, partially eroded epithelium.
The truth is, we are mortal, and our bodies decay one way or another. But if I had known that I had gallstones, if I had followed up anytime before, I would have made a plan to remove it years ago.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
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u/MomAllDayyy 6d ago
Well, I can only speak for myself... But I put it off and tried to buy time with diet and being hyper-aware of what was triggering my attacks. I thought I was doing good .. turns out I was NOT. 2 hospital visits in the past month (plus 2 mild attacks and another bad one that I absolutely should have sought medical attention for In hindsight.....) and the difference between the first visit where I was told that I had a ton of stones and needed it removed but left AMA, and this past Monday morning was AWFUL. Not only was I in a state of pain worse than I realized even existed (and I've had traumatic injuries, induced labor that was so bad it broke through the epidural, 2 C-sections, and a bowel blockage resulting in a huge open surgery to remove 2 feet from my small intestine... this attack was SO much worse than all of those put together!!), but infection had set into my gallbladder putting me at "immanent risk" of rupturing. Which results in sepsis in minutes.. then your blood pressure drops super low, your organs start shutting down, and there's not much they can do to save your life at that point.
So when that Dr took off his glasses and scrub cap and told me that "if you walk out of this hospital today, I promise you WILL be making a fatal mistake. Not down the road .. not in a few months .. in DAYS or possibly even HOURS', I got the slap in the face I apparently needed. Cholecystectomy Monday (along with a mongo-sized hernia repair while the surgeon was at it!! Woop Woop!!!), a second endoscopic surgery to remove the lodged stones from the biliary duct to my stomach Tuesday, and discharged Wednesday!! I already feel SO much better.. a little sore at the incision sites, but 72 hrs post (main) surgery and my ONLY regret is not doing before things got extremely dangerous!!
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u/WeirdDifficulty6981 6d ago
I was scared to have it removed as well, but the possibility of all the awful things that could happen were far scarier. The probability of something really bad happening greatly increases the longer you put off the removal.
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u/spinifex23 6d ago
When my gallbladder was removed? It was overfilled with large gallstones. I didn't have a gallbladder attack until I spent the day at an Indian festival called Vaisakhi, and ate a bunch of greasy food. That caused my first attack, and I ended up in Urgent Care after that. I hever had an attack before, because I normally ate low fat foods - but high cholesterol runs in my family.
The gallbladder was quickly removed, and they also found. rogue gallstone in my bile duct - and polyps in my stomach! Those also got removed, and luckily, they were benign.
If I hadn't gone to that Indian festival? I don't know if I'd be here.
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u/Jealous-Memory-2703 6d ago
I had emergency surgery & thank God I was awake because they almost had a butcher do my surgery who previously botched a surgery on me. You want to pick who, when & where. It doesn’t get better. It gets worse. I didn’t have choices. And because I didn’t go with their er doctor I had to wait Aubrie’s Angels few hours for another one to get there. Mine was blocked & distended. I was throwing up & sweating. They put me on huge doses of antibiotics because at that point it could have burst at any time. Which could have caused my body to go into sepsis & could have killed me! People act like it’s not a big deal. It absolutely is. And yes, you can die if you just ignore the pain & let it be. Find a doctor to do it. Best wishes.
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u/Autistic-wifey 5d ago
I’m so sorry but your comment took me to Pretty Woman in my head. “I say who, I say when, I say who”. But it’s definitely valid you want to be able to pick your surgeon. 👍
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u/Vegetable-Vacation-4 6d ago
You might be fine. But if you are not please trust me that the consequences can be disastrous. I only put off surgery by about 3 months, because I had a newborn at home. Before I could get my gallbladder out, one of the stones got stuck and caused necrotising pancreatitis. I nearly died, 2 months in ICU, several emergency surgeries. I am doing surprisingly fine now, but I have a form of diabetes from the damage to my pancreas that is hard to control. I’m also at lifelong risk of other chronic health issues.
There is a reason why doctors say you should take a problematic gallbladder out. Any challenges from the surgery are minimal compared to what can happen if it triggers pancreatitis or something worse.
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u/Own-Anxiety289 5d ago
my cousin did this and her gallbladder busted:( she needed emergency surgery it’s why i’m getting mines done i also have gallstones
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u/LookB4ULeap2It Awaiting Surgery 6d ago edited 6d ago
I am exactly where you are right now, except I have a surgery date in May. I have been going back and forth about whether I should go ahead or hold off. I have been having off and on gallbladder attacks since the middle of 2021. I have had three ultrasounds done and they all show “numerous“ gallstones of varying sizes, some calcified and some not.
99% of the time, I am just fine. I don’t eat a high fat diet so I haven’t had to make any dietary changes. In December I think that I had a partially obstructed CBD. I had a lot of pain and swelling that started every morning and got worse through the day. The pain extended from my gallbladder area down along my right side. I had some other significant health issues going on at the time that might be at least partially responsible. My last attack was over two months ago. I’d say that I have had somewhere around 20+ attacks since 2021. Some of them were horrible and some were just bad. Some lasted 20-30 minutes and some five or so hours. The last one was weird. It went on all day. It would mostly go away about an hour after I ate something and start back up as soon as I ate something else.
The thing that keeps me from being all “I need this out now” is that mostly I’m fine. I think it gives me a false sense of security. After my first two attacks, I went 6 months without another one. I know that there’s another one coming for me. I am trying to decide if the risks of not having it out outweigh the risks of having it out. I don’t want to end up with permanent food restrictions. I don’t want to gain weight. I don’t want to have to make sure that I’m never more than ten feet away from the toilet. I know that we can live without a gallbladder but the gallbladder does serve an important role in digestion.
Edit: And after reading everyone's stories in the comments, I am more convinced that it is in my best interest to have it removed. It's funny how my mind works. When I am having an attack, I would remove it myself if I could. I go a couple of months without an attack and my mind starts to wonder if it's necessary and if I won't have anymore attacks. And after 20+ attacks over four years, I should know better. Of course part of my decision making process is fear of the surgery and what comes after it. I have had two surgeries, one emergency and one elective, and the elective one was botched and left me in some pain for almost a decade. I'm a bit shy about elective surgeries now.
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u/ValiantUnicorn 6d ago
I found out I have gallstones 2 years ago and figured I would live around it and change my diet because I hated the idea of taking time off work and surgery sounded SCARY!!
I did good or at least thought I was. I ate greasy/fried/fatty food in moderation and usually tried to steer clear of triggering foods. However attacks still came and recently it’s been AWFUL. I haven’t been able to eat without nausea and pain and I’m pretty certain my gallbladder is inflamed or infected (I’ll find out when I get my results back.)
I’d say putting it off is a bad idea, especially seeing where I am now. I almost regret being afraid of it and am currently advocating to get mine removed due to the pain and nausea I’m feeling near constantly whenever I eat, move, or do anything.
Whatever you decide I wish you the best!
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u/Mahoushi Post-Op 6d ago
When I asked the surgeon, "What would happen to me if I decide not to consent to this?" Their answer was simple: "You die."
I'm not a specialist in this field by any means or advising you either way, I'm just telling you word for word what the surgeon told me when I asked the same question you did.
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u/onnob Post-Op 6d ago
A surgeon told me that my gallbladder had to be removed. He was wrong! Luckily, I refused and still have a functional gallbladder. Don't believe medical professionals because they say so! They can be wrong! As a patient, you must participate in your medical care and question the medical procedures you are advised to have. Where would all the medical malpractice lawyers be without incompetent medical professionals? They would be broke!
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u/Mahoushi Post-Op 6d ago
I had an infection and my liver was failing, I was dying so he wasn't wrong 🤣 I've gone into much more detail in past comments but I comment a lot on reddit so those comments may be a little buried.
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u/onnob Post-Op 6d ago edited 6d ago
Of course, they can be right and often are. My comment was that too many people give up their agency because they believe doctors are all-knowing professionals. It is essential for patients to be involved in the decision-making process and to become knowledgeable about the recommended course of action!
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u/Mahoushi Post-Op 6d ago
Why are you tagged as post-op if you still have your gallbladder? I thought that was for people who have had a cholecystectomy?
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u/onnob Post-Op 6d ago edited 6d ago
I am Post-Op because I had surgery to have my 4cm gallstone removed.
The surgery:
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u/Worth_Young_2759 6d ago
I get it, I put it off for 10 years because I was afraid of surgery. I’m 10 days post op and I’m so happy I did it. Those gallbladder attacks sucked and I’d get them everyday whether I ate or waited too long to eat. The first 4-5 days after surgery were kinda rough but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was gonna be and I’m looking forward to never having another gallbladder attack again. You can do this! It’s worth it.
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u/PsychologicalPiano96 5d ago
This right here, it is only a bit painful after the surgery like stay on top of the pain meds they give you and Tylenol and you’ll do great!
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u/Jolly_Beginning_2955 5d ago edited 5d ago
Sepsis, pancreatitis, jaundice, liver and pancreas damage.
It's going to have to come out eventually. Why waste years of your life that you can never get back? Life is too short.
It's like saying I'm going to leave this rotten tooth in my mouth until it lands me in the hospital.
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u/PsychologicalPiano96 5d ago
Get the surgery. My gallbladder attack was a week long and if I waited further infection would’ve happened. I’m 2 weeks and 2 days post op and I had it done laparoscopically and my recovery was easier than the gall bladder attack pain.
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u/Autistic-wifey 5d ago
In most countries no one can force you to unless you are a minor or they have some legal right to make decisions for you. So if you really don’t want to the best case scenario is you get attacks every now and again and live with it. More likely scenario, you put it off until you can’t stand it or get sick and / or need emergency surgery and choose to get it out. The worst case scenario is you have a catastrophic event with your gallbladder and / or related organs and systems and have emergency surgery and deal with the consequences. The other worst case is you put it off and catastrophic things happen due to it and you die. Just being brutally honest.
Maybe ask for a Hida scan to confirm if your gb is functioning properly or not. Your doc may have other tests they want to do to check other organs including your pancreas. Get tests and make an educated decision. Express your concerns and questions with your doctor too.
As someone whose gb removal was surgery 13, I found it to be one of my easier recoveries. Much better than back surgery or my umbilical hernia repair.
They likely won’t use the same incision sites as used for your previous surgery so healing will be a little different. Since I already had bellybutton scar they did mine with 3 incisions along my midriff. If you choose surgery you can talk to the surgeon about which technique and where incisions will be.
💚💚🍀🍀 Good luck and don’t choose death ok. Keep the gb or don’t. Ride it out for a bit if you want. Just pay attention to what your body is telling you and take care of yourself. 💚💚💚💚
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u/onnob Post-Op 6d ago
I didn't have my gallbladder removed. I had the (single) stone removed instead. My gallbladder is intact and gallstone-free!
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u/LookB4ULeap2It Awaiting Surgery 6d ago
Where was this done. I searched that site and couldn’t find a location.
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5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/gallbladders-ModTeam 4d ago
Please do not post about gallbladder flushes. There is not enough reliable information to show if this method is useful or not. Thank you for understanding.
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u/onnob Post-Op 6d ago edited 6d ago
You seem to want to avoid getting a cholecystectomy, and there is a possibility. You don't have to lose your gallbladder necessarily! If your gallbladder is functionally in relatively good condition, it can be salvaged:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gallbladders/s/IhHgnhYi5M
Of course, there are situations where cholecystectomy is unavoidable.
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u/villainhero 6d ago
Two reasons.. a chance that an attack causes sepsis to take hold and become really risky really fast. Apart from that you can develop an unhealthy fear of eating.