Gall Bladder Questions-Surgery??

Question

my mom just recently, yesterday, was told that she might have to have her gall bladder removed?

and truthfully im worried...

How dangerous is the surgery?

How long will it last to heal?

About how much would it cost?(an average)

How will it removed affect her in the future?

Thanks for the help

-alex

Answer 1

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped structure that is found attached to the liver.The gallbladder is attached to the bile duct by a small tube called the cystic duct. Bile is collected in the gallbladder between meals and empties into the bile duct through the cystic duct during a meal.

Gallbladder Removal  $8,500 average cost w/o insurance

In 2002, i had a gall stone removed the size of a golf ball.

I have 4 tiny cuts on my stomach. What they did was lazer cut me.

U do have to be put under though, but it's a quick process. It's not so bad..

they lazered the gall stone into baby pieces and was able to remove it that way. My doctor asked me if i wanted the gallbladder removed while they were in there. He assured me that i didn't need for that is a little baggie that holds the stones...i told him to remove it then if i can live without it!

I was out the hospital that same day. It wasn't bad.

My insurance paid 90%.

I wish your mom the best....good luck..

Don't worry too much sweetie...everything is all good!!!

Answer 2

It's a pretty cool procedure. They make an incision in the bell button and insert a pump. This pumps up the skin like a basketball to they can manouver their instruments around and see what they're doing. Next they make a few more incisions for the tools and camera. Then they cut out the gallbladder, put it in a bag and pull it out.

It is not a serious surgery, your mom should be perfectly fine.

The gallbladder stores bile, which helps the body break down fats. So your mom is going to have to monitor her diet carefully so that she doesn't eat too much fat.

Like I said, it's normally done with a camera so it's minimally invasive. This means a fast recovery time with little pain.

The only thing I'm not too sure about is the cost. Hopefully she has insurance.

Answer 3

When the formation of gallstones leads to attacks of pain and nausea, surgical removal of the gallbladder is the most frequently recommended treatment. The medical term for this operation is cholecystectomy (KOL-ee-sis-TEK-tuh-mee). Today there are two ways of performing it:

Open Cholecystectomy: This method requires a single large incision under the right rib cage. The operation takes 1 to 2 hours. Your stay in the hospital can last 2 to 5 days.

Laparoscopic Cholycystectomy: This "Band-Aid surgery" technique substitutes four tiny incisions for a single large one. One is made just below the belly button. Two more are made in the abdomen above the right hip. A fourth is needed just below the ribs in the middle of the chest. A tiny, lighted scope is inserted through one incision. Miniature, remote-controlled surgical tools are inserted through the others. To give the surgeon an unobstructed view, the abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide gas throughout the procedure. Like an open cholecystectomy, the operation takes 1 to 2 hours. However, your hospital stay may be less than a day.

During the operation, the doctor will check for stones in the duct that drains the gallbladder, and remove them as well.

Risks

Although gallstones often can be dissolved by drugs or shattered by sound waves, the problem is likely to recur if these methods are used. Removal of the gallbladder provides the only permanent solution. Like all surgery, the operation poses a risk of internal bleeding or infection; and blood clots could form and lodge in the lungs, making it difficult to breath. In general, however, the procedure is relatively safe.  

Answer 4

Well I dont know if I can help you that much but I had mine removed and honestly its a pretty quick operation. I mean it takes them a bit of time to set up the room and get you prepped but the overall surgery Id say maybe an hour or less. The healing process was really quick, I just had a few small cuts on my stomach and they just used something like a glue to keep them closed while they healed.  I was up and around within the day. Also after she gets home dont let her lift anything too heavy.  She will have to watch her diet in future tho. Anything too fatty or greasy will make her sick I know it makes me feel absolutely terrible when I go overboard.  No other real lifestyle changes tho.  

Answer 5

Awww I'm so sorry Alex, take good care of ur mom, I'll suggest get through checkups done and check if ur mom really needs the gall bladder operation. If u go to a reliable well qualified surgeon the operation shud not be a big issue, but before the operation is her situation curable with just medicines? or does she have to go thru a operation ? wat has the doctor said? how worse or complicated is her situation.

She may have some digestion related problem after her operation but not necessarily. All information will be given to u if u ask ur surgeon they need to tell u everything u doubt or question.

Answer 6

She is smart to have it taken out before complications arise in the future. These days, the surgery can be done laproscopically which means a few small incisions in the abdominal area as opposed to a longer, single incision which is sometimes used according to the needs of the patient. The procedure takes about 45 minutes and can be done on an outpatient basis. While all surgery carries some risk, this is a commonly performed procedure with very low incidence of complications including infection on healthy adults (non-smoker, no serious lung or heart disease, etc).  It will have little to no effect on her, long term. She may need to limit fat intake a bit in her diet depending on what she is used to. The nurses will want to get her up and walk her around before she goes home, and make sure that she can urinate. Then they will remove her IV and you can take her home. She will be a bit woozy from the anesthesia (although she may not really feel it) so you will need to help her walk around that first day. Her diet will advance from clear liquids to full liquids to regular diet within 24-48 hours. Make sure she takes her pain medication --- perhaps every 4-6 hours for the first 24 hours. Don't let the discomfort/pain grow to the point where it is unbearable. Make sure she walks around every couple of hours, but use your common sense if it appears to be too wearing on her.  Best of luck to you and her.

Answer 7

a/ it is not an emergency so it is not that big a deal

b/ it is not dangerous. it is a very common surgery. I am willing to bet

your mother is over 40 (the doctors have a saying for women who have gall bladder removal. They are always: fair (white) fat and 40. please don't tell your Mum I told you that)

c/ nowadays you go into the hospital in the morning and they put

you under the doctor will make a very small hole on one side of your gall bladder (it is located by your stomach under your right breast)

he will insert a small camera so he can see what he is doing. Then he will make another small hole a couple of inches across from the first one. He inserts a surgical tool in there and manoeuvre's it around until he can cut the gall bladder out and then pull it out through the hole. Your gall bladder is very small and you can live without it. Then they put two small bandaids on the the two holes. Your Mum goes to the recovery room and when she wakes up and is feeling ok she can go home. She will feel fine in a couple of days. It does not have any effect on her in the future. I had mine out 20 years ago and never had a problem since. Lots and lots of women have them out every day. For some reason women seemto have more gall bladder problems then men do.

Don't worry no doctor would operate on your Mum unless he/she was absolutely sure she would be fine during and after the surgery.

Just be sure to be nice to your Mum and help her out after her surgery as she may feel a bit woozy and weak after she comes home.

I am sorry I can't tell  you how much it costs because I live in Canada and our healthcare is free.

Answer 8

the cost is the copay -mine was a grand total of $15 cuz i didn't use pain meds -just tylenol.  i was very pregnant at the time & was back to work at 2 weeks post op.  she will be able to eat without pain, but will have to modify her diet.  have her write down all of her questions and have them answered by the surgeon before she leaves the office.