Lap Cholecystectomy turned to OPEN

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-01-2006
Lap Cholecystectomy turned to OPEN
5
Thu, 04-27-2006 - 9:51pm

So I went ahead with a laparoscopic choecystecomy. Surgeon felt pretty positive that it would help me. It was scheduled for 4/17 - just 2 weeks after my husband had back surgery. Yes - I know - I must be insane.

Well, wouldn't ya know it - they had to turn my laparoscopic procedure into an open procedure. My gallbladder was apparently tucked up into a crevace in my liver and the surgeon (the chief of surgery at the hospital) felt that he couldn't play around with not being able to see it or the common bile duct well.

So instead of staying in the hospital overnight - I was there for 5 days. I'm now home about 10 days post surgery. Still in quite a bit of pain. I'm told to remember I just had a major operation and to give in to my body's need for rest. I know I should, but I'm not good at that. So I have a little cabin fever. All of this is compounded by the fact that my husband had back surgery just 2 weeks before my surgery. My surgery was supposed to be the easier of the two surgeries, but that changed pretty quickly. We have wonderful family and friends who have stepped in to help us out with childcare (we have 3 small children) and meals, etc...

But the pathology report came back on my gallbladder and it was FULL of sludge. Between that and how my gallbladder was in an awkward position - he believes that I will find relief from having it removed. That is once I recover from the surgery itself. :-)

Thanks to those of you who helped me in making this decision - just thought I would update you on what had happened.

Pam

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Sat, 04-29-2006 - 7:39pm

Hi Pam,


Let me sprinkle some magic dust over you and hopefully you will have a speedy recovery.

 
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-01-2006
Sat, 04-29-2006 - 8:09pm

Thanks for the magic dust! My husband had a lumbar laminectomy and disckectomy. His last disc was ruptured and giving him much pain. The surgery was very successful and he has experienced great relief from the pain he was having.

Has anyone else out there had an open cholecystectomy done? What was your recovery like? I'm about 2 weeks post op and still in quite a bit of pain and very tired - still not able to do much of anything and it's frustrating. I realize I had major surgery and recovery will take a while - but I'm such an inpatient person. ;-) I'd like to see what other people experienced after an open cholecystectomy.

Thanks again!

Pam

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Fri, 05-05-2006 - 9:11am

I had the open surgery done in 1976 and at that time I has children ages 3 7 and 11. If I remember it took about 6 weeks to be able to get on with my life and even after that I did tire when doing simple things like grocery shopping but you will recover from the surgery just hang in there.

It then became apparent something else was going on with having diarrhea attacks all the time after the gall bladder removal and for 23 years of test and attacks and meds that did very little I came across a solution to the diarrhea attacks that happened almost daily. I hope this is not a problem for you but if it is maybe I can help. It dose happen to about 30 % of people having the gall bladder removed.

Linda

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-01-2006
Fri, 05-05-2006 - 1:51pm

Linda,

Thank you very much for your response. It is very helpful. So far I only get diahrea when I eat really fatty foods - and the attack is almost immediate! I find that I can't eat like I used to at all yet. I only eat a little and I'm full really quick - but then hungry a lot more often. I have only had one food come back and make me sick - spaghetti - probably the sauce. I don't know if I ate too much or it was just the sauce or what - but I threw it up right after I ate it. If I don't eat when I'm hungry - I feel very sick - like the bile is just eating me up or something. Doc says that will get better and I'll be able to guage it better, too.

I also have 3 small children - 6 year old son and 4 year old twin girls. The hardest part of the recovery has been that my husband is also recovering from back surgery - so we're pretty pitiful together. It's been almost 3 weeks since surgery. I'm amazed at how much I still hurt. I don't know why I'm amazed - I just am amazed - thought I would be doing much better than I am by now. I went to work twice this week - just a few hours each time - but I would get home and feel like I was hit by a truck - hurt a lot more and so tired. I know I'm probably pushing myself too hard too soon - if I had short term disability insurance I would just take a month off and lay low, but I don't and I am the breadwinner in the family - so I push myself to get back to work. My body will only allow so much, though.

Thanks again for your experience - it is helpful.

Pam

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Fri, 05-05-2006 - 5:30pm

Pam,

You are in a difficult place right now and you can only do what you can. I know that doesn't put food on the table but it sounds like you have some good friends and family to help out.

I know the sick feeling you speak of and that did never go away for me until I started to take calcium carbonate and this soaks up the excess bile you have now that is an irritant to your insides and can cause the yellowish watery diarrhea and burning also.

Eating became so difficult for me and it did not really matter what I ate I would have to run to the bathroom as soon as I put the food in my mouth. Please do not right off this info it has been really helpful to many. The tomato sauce is too acidy to eat too much of just adds to the burning gut. Also I still have a problem with lettuce and never eat it out. You may adjust as your doctor says but I never did. The calcium taken with my meals has allowed me to eat things I thought I could never eat again and helped to firm up the BM so it is not a rush to the bathroom all the time.

Email me if you like and I will send you the info.

Linda