I have gallstones, doctor wants me to get gallbladder removed.?!


Question: Are there any alternatives? My doctor doesn't know anything about a gallstone flush, and he says there is no way to get rid of them without getting rid of the gallbladder. I am scared, and heard that I will never be able to eat the way I used to (But that might be a better alternative to the way I am being forced to eat now)


Answers: Are there any alternatives? My doctor doesn't know anything about a gallstone flush, and he says there is no way to get rid of them without getting rid of the gallbladder. I am scared, and heard that I will never be able to eat the way I used to (But that might be a better alternative to the way I am being forced to eat now)

Gallbladder flushes are bogus, most of them involve drinking large amounts of olive oil. If you do this, you risk a gallbladder attack (when gallstones can get stuck trying to leave your gallbladder) that will be very painful!!! The gallbladder holds bile, which is released when you eat something fatty. Once your gallbladder is removed, bile will be released constantly in your intestine, since their is no place to store it any more. The amount your body makes depends on the amount of fat you eat.

Some people will have no problems after their gallbladder is removed, others will have issues with diarhhea especially when eating fatty foods. I had mine out in August, the first month I had to watch my fat intake (too much gave me diahrrea) but after that I could eat what I want. Every once in a awhile, a very fatty meal might cause me a little problem but that is rare. If you eat a predicatble amount of fat (in other words, you don't diet followed by binging, then dieting again) your body will adjust and make the right amount of bile for your eating habits. I know 3 other people who have had this surgery, and all of them can eat as they please. But like I said, there are people who do need to watch their fat intake.

I know its scary to have surgery, but for gallstones this is the best treatment. If you are worried, try getting a second opinion just to be sure. Ask your surgeon about his success rate and how many complications he/she has had. My surgeon had never had a complication with this procedure. You want to make sure you have a surgeon with a great record, the most common complication is injury to the duct (pathway for the bile).

Most of the time you can have it done with just 3-4 tiny incisions so the healing time fairly short (I missed 2 weeks of work). Good luck with everything, try not to worry too much about the surgery.

Check with a good holostic chiropractor in your area for a 2nd opinion. You might need nutritional supplements and to change your diet a bit but you should eat 1/2 a banana a day. I'm serious that exact amout will be helpful!

Gallbladder surgery has come a long way. I had laperascopy. I was home within 24 hours and back to work within a week. I have viritually no visible scars. I'm glad I did it. You'll feel a lot better afterward! Still, if you're not comfortable with your doctor's diagnosis, you could always go for a second opinion.

If the gall stones are very large; which is what I'd assume the doctor would remove a gallbladder for; there really isn't an alternative. The surgery itself is called a cholesystectomy (gall bladder removal) Most of the time; it's a surgery that can be done laproscopically (which means it can be done with out cutting you open.) Very common procedure nowadays. The only changes in your eating habits occur in the first 2-3 months after surgery which will be that you can't consuming fatty foods the way you used to. If you do; you'll end up getting diarrhea or something like that. The gall bladder stores stuff to break down fats and such; so the fats don't get broken down and your body won't be able to absorb them the same way for a little while. You won't lose weight if that's what you're thinking right about now. :)

I had mine removed laproscopically. Basically a 2 hour procedure under general anesthesia. Entered the hospital at 1030 and was going home by 2pm. The problem with gall stones is that you will continue to get them and they are very painful. Removing the gall bladder was the best choice for me because I didn't ever want to feel that pain again. The biggest change for me is that I no longer eat one or two big meals a day. Instead I eat a few small meals throughout the day. I used to skip breakfast and eat a big lunch and then dinner but now I eat breakfast, a regular size lunch and dinner and sometimes snack in between. I'm athletic so weight has never been an issue for me. The one thing you should be aware of is that when your gall bladder is removed, there is a very finite supply of bile available. Consequently, if you do eat a meal with excessive fat in it...it may just slide through your system...literally. In my case, my eating habits changed slightly and nothing else. I would say get it removed because a small change in eating habits is a small price to pay when compared to the excruciating pain a gall stone can be.

Well first off gallbladder surgery is one of the safest procedures there is. You may be able to have a laproscopic surgery, which uses several small incisions to remove the gallbladder and has a very short recovery time. Usually you're able to go home within a day if this type of surgery is performed. As for diet, you shouldn't have too many major changes, but on the flip side it may force you to eat a healthy diet, which never hurts.





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