I am in remission with CLL and now after a visit to A&E because
of agonising pain they discovered Gallstones and want to remove my Gallbladder asap.
My last blood test shows Platelet count - 130 10*9/L ......also low Haematocrit
and Red blood cells.
Does anybody know if this would be a problem?
I have an appointment with the Haematology consultant on Monday, but I
am curious to know.
Thank you
Hello MalcT. Of course your Dr will know best, but I don’t think your platelets are a concern for surgery. They are only borderline low at 130 anyway and I think below 50 is where there is concern with surgery. I am not a doctor though, that’s just my lay person understanding.
Your low red blood cells and hence low haematotric shouldn't be a problem provided you don't have a serious bleed. In respect of the latter, I agree with Cajunjeff that your platelet count makes that rather unlikely, though like him, I'm also not a doctor 
Neil
Thank you...now I can enjoy my weekend....👍
I had my gallbladder out 20 years ago. I did fine with it out until recently. When my CLL progressed, I had the usual spleen enlargement and swollen lymph nodes in my abdominal region. At that time, I started to experience reflux, which was likely due to bile reflux rather than acid reflux.
I now have a hiatal hernia due to too much bile in my stomach. When my gallbladder was removed, the bile was duct from my liver was moved to my small intestines. It may now need to be moved farther into my small intestines.
I am also not a doctor but this might be something to discuss with the surgeon.
Hi Malc,
In January of 22 I had my gall bladder removed. I was on the cusp of treatment and had been in the hospital due to a serious infection. Then they told me I had to have my gall bladder removed! Already one down from all the other stuff I was super paranoid but here I am. I don't know what my platelets were but I managed fine. It took awhile to recover but that's because I had a lot of other stuff going on. You sound pretty robust compared to that so hopefully you will breeze through it! Best wishes
My surgeon last year said he would not do surgery if my platelets were under 100. However, that was a minimally invasive arthroscopic procedure. I can't say if this would be true for a laporoscopic cholecystectomy, which is a minimally invasive procedure, compared to the major surgery option that was the only one decades ago.
If you had an ERCP type endoscopy where a piece of one stone is removed, to determine if it is cholesterol versus bile salts, it may be possible to use the drug ursodiol. But even if they are cholesterol ones, if they are calicified, the drug may not work well.
I guess a lot of this depends on if there are only a few, versus many, and whether or not they are blocking a duct.
If you are in agonizing and constant pain with every meal, you may be moving from this being elective to emergency anyway. So, if your docs want this out, I would listen to them and get this out asap.
Waiting on a gallbladder issue rarely helps, and often really hurts one's overall health...
PS - And I would lock your post, since you've got personal info.
I want this done but was told that the waiting list is up to 9 month.
I have constantly follow up appointments and blood checks.
Find out if you can be listed as an emergency vs an elective due to your CLL (your blood is good now but may not be when the elective list can get to you). Multiple hospitalizations in a short period may help.
PS - I'm not in the UK, so I don't know if the emergency/elective difference matters as much as it does here, but it can't hurt to find out.
My husband has CLL and during Covid was taken, 3 times, by ambulance to hospital with agonising pain, everyone suspected heart until on his third episode they sent him for a Stent, only to be told at that stage that he had a healthy heart and didn't need any intervention whatsoever so, whilst in hospital they investigate further and it was his gall bladder so this was then removed. Apparently, so the surgeon told me, the Gall bladder was very bloody and not in good contain (obviously), he recovered well, didnt affect his CLL in anyway and he has been fine since. They did the removal via keyhole surgery. Good luck x
Simarlar to my case....first they thought I had a heart attack, then a blood clot in my lung.
They told me later that the Gallbladder pain has the same symptons.
But I had a Gallbladder infection which they treated with antibiotics.
The waiting list for Gallbladder removal is up to 9 month.
Did they say what might be the reason of the gallstones? What kind of diet are you on?
No...only I have Gallstones. My diet is fat free, every day fresh vegetables, not much meat etc....no fast food at all..... very healthy, no smoking, hardly any alcohol
"However, with the increasing prevalence of obesity, there is evidence that people with obesity, who are advised to follow weight‐reducing diets that incorporate a very low fat diet, may be more likely to develop gallstones (Festi 2000), and that diets higher in fat may reduce gallstone risk in adults losing weight ( ...Mar 22, 2017"
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
Vitamins D,E,K,A are fat soluble. You can't absorb them without fats.
Edit. This is what AI had to say about the topic:
"Yes, a low-fat diet can potentially contribute to the formation of gallstones. Here is some information to help you understand the relationship between a low-fat diet and gallstones:
Following a low-fat diet may reduce the contractions of the gallbladder, which can prevent stones from moving out of the gallbladder into the bile duct.
Some people find that a low-fat diet can help reduce the pain caused by gallstones.
It is important to note that the body still needs a small amount of fat, so following a completely fat-free diet is not recommended.
Diets or surgeries that result in rapid weight loss may increase the risk of developing gallstone problems compared to slower weight loss methods.
If you have concerns about gallstones or dietary choices, it is advisable to consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice and guidance."
I am trying to get weight as I lost weight, but I never was overweight in my whole life.
Thank you for the interessting thought . I didn't know that.
Welcome. A low fat diet by definition is a high carb diet. Which causes all kinds of problems in susceptible individuals. Type 2 diabetes, BP problems, gout, arthritis, chronic inflammation, kidney stones, digestive problems, just to name a few. The composition of the diet and genetics play a large role in deciding who gets what 😀. One can eat fat without a gall bladder too. Smaller portions spread out during the day.
Gallbladder removed in 1996 - 4 small incisions 1 inch or smaller through which to insert instruments. Surgery was at 2 pm. My wife took me home 6 hours later. Like others have said, 130 doesn't sound too low but your doctor will know best.
I'm the son of a doctor but my dad was a plant doctor not a medical doctor. ;^)
I had an emergency appendectomy last November - appendix was perforated (exploded) and gangrenous. I won't go into the timeline of the experience, but when I was just about to go into surgery, I told the Surgeon that I was Stage 4 CLL (over 15 years) and he said, "Well, you're platelets are at 99, so it's OK." That seemed to be his criterion.
It's interesting. Before, during and after the attack and subsequent operation, not once did I have any kind of fever or infection. I believe the term is "luck". This time for a CLLer, it turned out to be "good luck". I wish the same for you.
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