how many have gallbladder problems post-op?

I went to my doc 2-weeks post op. I explained that I was having some upper right quadrant abdominal pain and nausea. Doc said she didn't touch this area during surgery and suspects gallbladder function is not normal. An ultrasound found no gallstones (thank goodness). Doc said it is not uncommon for women who have had hysterectomies to develop gallbladder problems. SO, I'm doing a very unscientific survey...

How many of you developed gallbladder problems post-op?
Did anyone develop GB problems so quickly after surgery?
Did you have to have GB removed?

Hi Luvmycop,
I started having pain almost immediately after in the right quadrant. It was dismissed as normal healing, then they found a 2cm mass that they think is adhesions, then they found a polyp in my gallbladder. I just had a HIDA scan today..not bad except for the added second part with the injection that makes your gallbladder spasm, burns your chest,and makes you very nauseated. I don't know if I will need surgery or not..they said they wanted to see if it was functioning because I have really bad gas, baby poop a lot, acid reflux, and the pain on the right side. I had not heard of polyps in that organ anyway.

Good luck to you. I will let you know what happens.

I had gallbladder problems at the same time as my hsyterectomy problem 3 wks before my hsyterectomy I had my gallbladder out so now I'm healing from both. You might have had problems before and not noticed. But remember when they were in there doing there thing they move every organ we have around and now they say it will take time for everything to settle back down. Well when there not the one in pain and having the issue it's hard just to sit there and wait. If your anything like me you want everything done and done right now. And you want to feel great from day one and anything else is just annoying. And then you realize things aren't going has well as you hoped and you being to wonder if you made the right choice because it wasn't so bad the way it was before. and then you start thinking again and just want to cry and cry well this is where I'm at 3wk post - ops. I will tell you if it is your gallbladder and it is bad the longer you wait the worse of course it will get and one day you will eat a meal that you've always eaten and it won't stay down and nausea will become a everyday thing the bad part is that after the surgery its the same thing also at least for me somedays good someday not so good and nausea is starting to become normal hey. try milk and yogurt before meals to help your tummy settle down. Good Luck and keep in touch. Reno

I had mine taken out many yrs before this. And although, you didn't really ask for this kind of advice, I thought it might be helpful. We ate some fish one night, thought it smelled funny, but we ate it anyhow, tasted fine. About 2.00am, got up, throwing up, fever, sweating like a pig, and diahrea, worse pain I think I have ever felt. I woke up hb told him to take me to the hostpital, after three days on antibiotics, the infection in my gull bladder had finally got good enough for them to take it out. My point, IMHO, if they find stones and all that stuff and hem hall around and want to wait to do surgery, I would tell them I just want it out...PERIOD. You def don't want to go through an attack like I did, I am not kidding, it was worse than child birth. Having gull bladder issues can make you miserable. They told me mine had prob been bad for years...it was awful looking. They even told me they thought that was why my contractions were so bad during labor w/ my first kid, at three cm, contractions were off the charts. I know this was a little off topic, sorry, but hope you get things figured out and get better very soon. Follow your instinct and stand up for your health. Take care

Tammy,

It's interesting that you posted this. I am over a year post op and the last few months, I have started having the same type of pain and symptoms you describe. I had an ultrasound and no stones were seen. I then had the HIDA scan which showed my gallbladder function as borderline overactive.

Needless to say, my gastroenterologist referred me to a surgeon to have my gallbladder removed. He said there is no real "textbook" case and was fairly certain my gallbladder was the cause of my problems. I was hesitant since 1. they didn't see any stones and 2. my gallbladder was actually working. The surgeon took a look at everything and after my consultation, decided not to do the surgery. He prescribed Bentyl for me. 4 pills a day. He actually thinks that my intestines were spasming. I have been taking the pills for several weeks now and am doing 110% better!

Anyways, I would just suggest that you proceed with caution. And do your research. I learned that gallbladder removal is a very routine procedure and for MOST, very few side effects. But, I also have read the horror stories and was NOT going to risk it unless they KNEW with 100% certainty that my GB was indeed the problem.

Push for a HIDA scan and a second opinion.

On the other side of things, I had my gallbladder out 9 months before the hysterectomy. For me it it was the wrong call. Turned out to be a healthy gallbladder and removing it left me with a condition called "post-colycystectomy syndrome" - it's where the muscles around the bile ducts become spastic. Narcotics bring on attacks classically - so for the hysterectomy - no pain meds post-op allowed. The attacks (sphincter of oddi dysfunction...you can google it) are horrendous - similar to acute gallbladder attacks (which I never had pre-surgery). I think gyn issues can impact the biliary system - either through hormonal influences - or nerve signals causing right upper quadrant pain. My Hida Scan was borderline - and I had no stones on sonogram or MRI. If I could go back I wouldn't have messed with it.

If you have clear evidence it's your gb - or classic attacks (like horseslover) I'd go for it - but be careful - it's not a no-risk decision.

I had my gall bladder taken out 11 months before my hyster. The ultra sound showed sludge. The HIDA scan was not completed due to the fact that they never could get my gall bladder to "show" up. My surgeon took it out the next day. Said "we go it just in time. You would have been jaundiced in a week if that long." It was a difficult recovery. But was worth it. I have not had any more problems since.

Hi all,
I just got my gallbladder test results in today. My gallbladder is functioning on the low end. Plus I have the polyp in it. My doc is saying for me to let her know if I want it out or not. She did say we could wait..and modify my diet and see what happens..if the polyp grows or not. I am just worried and concerned about the polyp growing and turning into cancer..the pain I feel everyday on the right side..the problems when I eat..the baby poop. Plus my insurance will be running out now that my DH is laid off. I don't know what to do. My Gyno kinda hinted that I should have it but he wants to look in there at my adhesions and ovaries while I have the gallbladder surgery. I guess that would be a good time as any other..maybe the urologist could do his stuff then to if needed. Maybe they could all get together. I know you ladies can't tell me what to do but give some advice please. Thanks

I had an emergency TAH BSO after a sudden ovarian torsion with a ruptured cyst back in September. I did very well with the surgery but 4 days after discharge from the hospital I started vomitting uncontrollably and had severe abdominal pain. I was re-hospitalized with pancreatitis and suffered for a week with nausea, vomitting and pain. During that week I was NPO and surviving on phenergan and stadol for pain. Finally after consulting a GI doc. a hida scan was ordered. At the time of the scan I was feeling fairly good. The scan was able to duplicate everything I had been feeling for a week. The next day I was scheduled for surgery number 2. I had a laprascopic gallbladder removal for a sluggish gallbladder. It did the trick and I recovered very well after that. I was able to eat again within a few days and slowly regained my strength. As it turned out the pancreatitis was caused by the sluggish gallbladder.

I think I may be developing gallbladder issues...or maybe I have had them for a long time and not known it. I have had the worst heartburn for the last few months, burping all the time, nauseous after eating, dizziness on occasion. Last night, which was four days post-LSH, I developed this stabbing pain on the right side, right underneath - almost behind - my ribcage. It's not terrible, but it was enough to keep me up last night. I'm not sure what's up now, or whether to mention it to my gyn.

It's always something, isn't it!!!