Gallbladder Disease and What to Expect After Laproscopic Gallbladder Surgery

Doctors perform a laproscopic gallbladder surgery to remove a diseased gallbladder from a patient. This surgery may occur after the patient has suffered from radiating stomach pains for a time of any length.

My first experience with gallbladder disease and gallbladder surgery was as an observer. My grandmother went in for laproscopic surgery, but doctors were unable to perform the surgery with a laproscope due to existing scar tissue in her abdomen.

My grandmother emerged from the surgery very sickened by the anesthesia and morphine. Due to her age and the open incisions made, she remained in the hospital for two days total. My grandmother has a foot-long diagonal scar running upwards across her abdomen.

When I needed my gallbladder removed, I had to sign a waiver agreeing to this type of surgery in the event that laproscopy could not be performed. This switch does occur in about 20 percent of all gallbladder surgeries performed in the US.

My gallbladder issues occurred in my mid-20s. In my case, genetics play a factor-my aunt, grandmother and grandfather have all had the same surgery.

My personal experience with gallbladder trouble began when I was living in Michigan several years ago. I worked at a coffee shop and noticed some pain in my lower back when I was lifting full coffee urns. I had what I thought was a stomach bug which went away after a day. I had pain but no vomiting or diarrhea.

One night I partied. I had lots of fatty foods and alcohol. This must have triggered the major gallbladder attack that landed me in the hospital. At the end of my shift at work, I wasn't feeling well. I drove home and by the time I got there (about 30 minutes later) I was in intense pain. I could not straighten my back and required assistance getting to the door.

The pain was so intense I could feel it in my ribcage, mid-back and chest. I thought I might be having heart problems because the pain radiated so intensely. I was driven to my primary care physician who said it could be trouble with the pancreas, gallbladder or colon. He examined my back and chest and said they were functioning normally.

At the crowded emergency room, I had to wait more than an hour before I was even in a hospital room. After about 50 minutes in the ER, the pain suddenly abated. After I described my pain to a physician, I received a sonogram of my abdominal region.

The problem was clear on the sonogram monitor: it was the gallbladder. Though my gall stones were tiny, the gallbladder itself was diseased and showed up on the monitor as completely black. The technicians pointed out this contrast and noted that my surrounding organs were healthy.

A specialist (a gastroenterologist) then spoke to me about the procedure I would need. I signed the necessary forms. They considered sending me home and scheduling the surgery for a month later, but due to the severity of the gallbladder attack, they retained me and scheduled my surgery for the following day.

My surgery prep was minimal. I was only allowed to eat broth and water due to the digestive problems and was not allowed to eat after 10 p.m. The following morning, I went in for surgery. Surrounded by family, I was medicated first by mask and then by needle-I hate needles, but the gas reduced my fear extensively.

I awoke to several attendants-doctors and nurses. One of the nurses was tapping my arm and encouraging me to wake up. While this happened, my navel incision began bleeding. The doctors re-stitched and re-bandaged it immediately. I was unable to feel any pain.

The doctor gave me some pain medications. I was instructed to have them filled immediately as I needed to take them within hours. After only about an hour in recovery, I was discharged from the hospital. The hospital staff indicated that I may have pain in my arm due to gas inflation used during the surgery.

I did have this pain, but it felt as though I had a bruise there. The real pain and swelling occurred around the four small incisions, particularly the one around my navel. I later learned that I had a severe contusion (bruising) just under my belly button, which made my recovery more difficult than normal.

The four incisions vary in length. Two are a half inch long and the others are an inch long each. Aside from the one just beneath the belly button, I have a scar four inches beneath the breast bone in the center of my upper stomach and two on the right side of my abdomen.

My specialist advised me to return to work after one week, but that was certainly not enough time to recover-especially since I was working at a counter job, always on my feet. I also had a weight restriction and was unable to lift more than 10 pounds for a few weeks. I spoke with the district manager of the coffee chain that employed me and he told me how to receive short-term disability benefits and he explained that I should just check in with him weekly and return to work when I felt comfortable.

I returned after about one-and-a-half weeks. I was able to function (and drive) without large doses of pain medication. I was unable to reach out of the drive-through window, but I could easily take orders and make drinks. I found myself tiring easily, but after a while, this stopped.

The main side effects I experienced (and still experience to a lesser degree) included lactose intolerance, frequent diarrhea and indigestion. Medically, this occurs because the gallbladder is no longer storing and managing bile.

I lost weight following the surgery and could only wear elastic pants due to the placement of the healing incisions. The scar tissue there is still sensitive. When I gain weight, the scar tissue stretches slightly and causes mild irritation. I am able to use cocoa butter to minimize this discomfort and have been told that I will have to apply it daily to prevent irritation should I become pregnant. On that note, I have also been told that gallbladder attack pain feels about as painful and intense as what a woman feels when she has contractions and goes into labor. Since most of my pain was in the upper digestive area, I imagine the pain during labor is primarily located in the lower abdominal region.

The scariest part about the diagnosis and procedure was the gallbladder attack. Because the pain radiated, I wasn't sure if I was having a heart attack, back problems or something else.

If you have a severe gallbladder attack as I did, I suggest doing everything possible to encourage the hospital to operate on the diseased organ immediately so long as it is in your best medical interests. It would be seriously unpleasant to experience multiple attacks of that intensity.

Author's note: I am a patient, not a physician. This is simply a recount of my experience with gallbladder disease.