I was hospitalised last June for 10 days as I had an infected gall bladder and scans showed I had a large gall stone.I was put on intravenous antibiotics and pain killers.
Fast forward 7 months and no further problems I had a phone call from the hospital giving me a date of 5th February for surgery to have my gall bladder removed, hopefully by keyhole surgery but if that isn't possible they'll do open surgery.
I had bypass surgery back in 2017 and 2 stents fitted Oct 2021.
This will be my first general anaesthetist since then and I have to say I'm very frightened, in fact part of me wants to cancel but I NEVER want to feel the pain I felt last year again.
I've accepted the appointment and made arrangements re transport and having someone stay with me afterwards (I live alone)
Looking for a little reassurance although I know all surgeries come with risk.
I'm at the stage of writing down all important information for my family - I know I'm being a little over-dramatic 😜
Anyone who's had heart surgery I'm interested in how things went with any operations following.
As always, thanks in anticipation. X
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Heather1957
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I had mine removed 2 years ago. We were 3 patients on the same day by the same surgical team.Two were discharged a few hours after the procedure but I could not pass urine and had a catheter inserted for the night.
Apparently some elderly people undergoing abdominal surgery do suffer with the inability to pass urine after.
Other than that I had no pain whatsoever and got back to my normal living the next day.
Hi Heather, I haven't had heart surgery but did have a stroke and had been on antiplatelet medication. I had some blood anomalies and was referred for an echo scan to check my liver and kidneys for possible issues. But when in for the scan I was told the good news, no liver or significant kidney problems but I had a gallbladder full of stones, small to large!Referral to the consultant asked about symptoms and some discomforts I had thought were indigestion were most likely the gallbladder. He was very concerned because all the stones in various ways posed problems partly because of the number but also the different sizes cause different problems. Sepsis is a real risk from gallstones getting lodged in places they shouldn't be.
He advised surgery asap and I was added to a list and a date came three weeks later.
The plan was keyhole. However, when they went in, they discovered serious inflammation, and they had to change to open surgery. This explained why I came to, some while after the plan! Note, it was good to be first on the list, because of the increased time needed for the operation.
So a planned discharge didn't happen. There is a general expectation that full surgery requires three nights in hospital but I'm happy to say I was discharged after 24 hours, and felt okay.
Clearly there is all the usual safety issues around lifting objects etc so take it steady. But I was anxious to not lose fitness so I was walking short walks immediately and increasing to 30 minutes within a few days.
After three weeks I was able to start jogging again.
The real takeaway is I was close, maybe days according to the consultant , to having a serious internal event. This might well have not been detected given I had been putting up with the warning symptoms.
So better out than in! I have some loss of sensation around the wound, but no significant digestive problems without a gallbladder. I now take omega3 tablets just three times a week as I have read that absorption is impacted by not having a functioning gallbladder. However, there is a contraindication with anticoagulants (EDOXABAN) hence me not taking daily. I do eat oily fish once or twice a week.
Not exactly related to your question but I hope it helps in some way. I am M aged 71 and had the op November 22.
Hi Heather, I can share my problems with you, I had my key hole surgery on 9.1.23 for chronic gall bladder problems. The procedure was a wrong decision because the laparoscopic procedure did only give limited field of vision and there were 2 different options that could have lead to smooth and uneventful postoperative recovery. However, the NHS waiting time at KING'S College Hospital which is NHS is 4 to 6 months. To put up with intolerable pain and other symptoms is out of question. I had to make a difficult decision to go private and since it had to be done by super specialist in hepatobiliary speciality, the money issue for the procedure is of unknown quantity. Do you know why in your case it has taken such a long time to make a proper diagnosis and then to do a proper proper procedure?. Please keep in touch because there are so many things, I have learnt from you and still more to learn.
Thank you, while you haven't had OHS you have had your gall bladder removed so your experience is worth knowing.
My admission was due to an infection in the gall bladder, I have never had issues before (or since) and I have never been in such pain in my life which lasted until they medicated me.
I was told it was a large stone and like you the concern is that it could get infected again or the possibility of Sepsis.
It is also good to read your recovery went well as that is also a concern.
I'm not a jogger but a quick return to walking is good to know.
It is lovely to see you I was wondering how you were doing
I am sorry you have to have your gallbladder out and I can understand the fear I would feel the same but then I would think if it was going to put me at risk surely they would not do it and I am sure if they thought you were at high risk hey would not do it but they are happy to go ahead
I hope they can do it keyhole surgery
Sorry I cannot help anymore but I have every faith you will be alright and I hope you will update us how you are doing x
I have a cruise booked leaving UK 28th April, all booked pre June last year so before this started. I had to cancel my Alaska cruise as I was in hospital then cancelled the cruises in September and one at the end of this month.
If all goes well for the op I have 4 cruises booked for this year so fingers crossed I can start catching up.
I had open heart surgery 18 months ago. I had a hernia repair 2 months ago. The anaesthetist was brilliant. Explained all the extra steps she was going to take due to my heart repair. I had a pre op questionnaire and appomitmmet a few weels before the op where they told me which meds to stop when (I'm on Apixaban). All went well and op total success. I had/have gallstones. Had several excruciating attacks but haven't had any for 4 years. It's still on the radar to have it removed but I'm hoping it will stay dormant. I won't hesitate to have it out if it flairs up again though
Thanks for that, when I was in for 10 days they were going to take out my gall bladder, the anaesthetist came and saw me on the ward, I signed the consent form and then they changed their mind!! It would have been so much easier if they had done it then.
I have been told what meds to stop pre op, the Clopidogrel 1 week before and replace with Aspirin and I take a Statin enhancer that I have to stop the day before.
I hope you go gall stone pain free for many more years.
I had my gall bladder removed in 2018. Procedure went very well, in at 9am, back home by 6pm.
I have had no further problems since and like you I would have done anything to stop the pain I previously had. Without doubt the gall bladder caused me the worst pain I have ever experienced.
I was in agony and waited 4 hours in A & E and when I saw the Dr I was begging for pain killers, she gave me 2 x co-codomol which I took, within seconds I told her I was going to be sick, there was time for her to get me a bedpan and the tablets came up. I was admitted shortly afterwards.
Hi Heather, I had my gall bladder out in Nov 23. You will have a pre assessment appt which will give you the opportunity for you and the hospital to discuss any issues and if there are any concerns they will check with the anaesthetist. I was concerned that I throw off ectopics when anxious and stressed ( and I was!!) and also can go into laryngeal spasm - told the anaesthetist who thanked me and reassured me by adjusting my anaesthesia accordingly. All went well - that anaesthetist is my hero!!
Thank you, I had the pre op appointment late last year and everything seemed okay but I can't help feeling that having had a bypass and stents I am at a higher risk than someone who hasn't.
It is good all went well I think I may ask a few questions of the anaesthetist pre op.
They will talk you through it all again before they take you down and while you are down there being prepped. So there are plenty of chances to ask questions and to get more reassurance.
I had the complete opposite. I had to have my Gallbladder removed and when I went for the pre-op assessment it was found that my heart was too bad and I got sent off to have an aortic valve replacement first. A year later I had my gallbladder, removed (not keyhole) without any problems.
Hi I can understand your anxiety, I have bowel surgery scheduled for the same day, I have a meeting tomorrow with the anaesthetist and also my pre op I am hoping they will put to bed some of my fears and explain what will happen before and after.I know my meds are going to be a problem so I hope they decided what to do about it by now. Have you had your pre op yet? If you have did they go through everything thoroughly with you. Char
They have given me a bag with a sheet of paper with info on and it says what to do with the meds , they went through all my meds (I take 9 different ones a day) and the nurse on the phone call told me what to take and what not to take pre operation and it will be confirmed by letter.
I have to admit I was impressed with the pre op process, for me there were 3 parts and it all went very smoothly.
Thanks that's good to know , I am hoping that by this time tomorrow I will know exactly what is going to happen on the day at the moment I only have the time 7.30 in the morning 😱. Char
I have a Left Bundle Branch Block and I had my Gallbladder removed on the 9th of this month. I know my heart condition is not the same as having had heart surgery, however the surgical team especially the anesthesiologist were very aware of it and took extra care and precautions because of it. The put an extra line in my wrist to monitor my heart rate more closely during the op. They explained every little step they were going to take to monitor my heart. The op went well and soon after recovery back on the ward, urine checked, cup of coffee and sandwich given. Once home everything has been fine. Apart from some pain which was manageable with the pain meds and feeling really tired for a couple of days all has gone well. My dressings are off and I am eating my normal food with no digestive issues. I can still feel a bit of abdominal soreness like I have done some sit ups but other than that a week on and I am pretty much back to normal, just not lifting any heavy things. I hope this might help you feel a little less anxious about the op. The relief of knowing I will never have that particular agony ever again was worth it for me.
I think your last sentence is what was the deciding factor. I believe I have a high pain threshold but that was unbearable. I really didn't know what to do with myself.
I was told that generally people have an infection marker of about 4 mine was 400 and at the worse time I was on 3 different antibiotics to find one that worked. I was discharged with a marker of 87 but felt so much better.
Of course you are right I'll be better off without it!
With an infected gallbladder like that please don't refuse the operation. They know what they are doing. I have a friend who was found barely conscious by a neighbour while his wife was away. It turned out to be an infected gallbladder so bad it couldn't be removed and had turned to sepsis. He spent 3 weeks in hospital but he survived. Another few hours until he was found could have had a very different outcome. The anaesthetist will be fully aware of your heart condition. They wouldn't operate if they felt it wasn't safe or necessary.
A good decision but it's the waiting that's the worst part. My friend has no heart problems but they still can't take his gall bladder out because it was so badly infected it was stuck to his kidney. So he still gets anxious about every little pain.
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