Is there anybody out there who,in addition to oesophago/gastrectomy, has also had their Gallbladder removed ?

[gutlesswonder]

Cholecystectomy---side effects

Did the Gallbladder removal take place before /during/or after the oesophagectomy?

[patchworker]

I had my gallbladder removed several years BEFORE my esophagectomy but it seems no one has had it done after their big op.

Maybe somehow an esophagectomy cures or prevents cholecystitis!

[Hidden]

I have not had experience of this first or second hand, and I am wondering what the complications would be? As I understand it, as a completely non-medical person, the gall bladder stores and regulates bile (alkali) which is produced by the liver in order to help the body digest fats.

And having a oesophagectomy / gastrectomy can alter the way in which bile comes up towards the throat. So perhaps it would not be surprising if having a gall bladder removed might make a bile problem more erratic perhaps?

So, entirely speculatively, if you have a reflux problem, is it acid, or is it bile? There are ways of testing for this if you are not sure.

Perhaps diet might assist the issue - you would need advice from a specialist dietician.

It is likely that there will be some medication that would help.

I would be inclined to have a chat with your GP first, and/or ask the specialist nurse, or perhaps a gastroenterologist.

But I am writing this without knowing any details of the problem! So pick out from this anything that might be helpful.

[gutlesswonder in reply to Hidden]

Thanks to you and Patchworker for your interesting replies--i am traveling at the moment so will pursue this interesting topic in a day or two --if you will allow.

[Hidden in reply to gutlesswonder]

Looking forward to hearing from you.

[david001]

Hi

Hope you don't mind me resurrecting this thread, I am also interested in finding out whether anyone on here has had a cholecystectomy/gall bladder removal post oesophagectomy. Perhaps someone can raise a poll on this subject ?

I've recently suffered acute cholecystitus and have been told that the only cure is surgical so I'm curious about the following:

1) Whether the op can be undertaken laparoscopicly (given our other surgery)

2) What the post op symptoms are - people seem to talk about even worse diarrhoea !

3) Does anyone live with a 'problem' gall bladder or have they always been removed

Thanks

[gutlesswonder]

Hi David001

Delighted you rattled this old skeleton ,particularly since it is so dear to my -er- heart !

The issue of BAM , Bile Acid Mal-adsorption , is slowly being recognized as of major significance.At AlanM's initiative I am currently preparing a briefing which should be available soon.

Certainly it is a factor in exacerbating the side effects of UGI surgery ; the mechanism is quite subtle and obscure.However therapy is available.

Have you only had the one episode of cholecystitis ? How was it treated ? What did ultrasound reveal ?

The question of additional thoracic procedures post-eosophagectomy is fraught.The issue revolves around 'adhesions'--to what extent has everything internal become 'welded' together.It is impossible to predict that.

I certainly wouldn't let anyone wielding a laparascope anywhere near me.But I can envisage some brave (gung-ho?)

medic having a peek and a poke about and ,if the field was clear then proceeding ; with the option to fall back on conventional open surgery if the field proved to be too congested.

The genius who re-opened my first thoracotomy ( Ivor Lewis right side ) spent more than one hour hacking his way through the jungle , I mean carefully dissecting , and afterwards would only comment " it was very challenging ".

Which procedure did you have for your eosophagectomy ? If you wish, details of age ,height , weight ,fitness, other conditions etc etc and in particular how you have tolerated the oeso will assist.

[david001]

Thanks Gutless

Only had the one episode so far, the gall bladder was so extended, it started pushing through my abdomen and the burning pain (argh). Pumped full of metronidazole and tazocin by the drs and currently wandering around with a GB drain in until the situation "cools". Poss another 4/6weeks.

Ultrasound showed a small 3mm stone. Amazed such a small stone can cause such grief.

Take your point regarding our internal scartissue jungle but at the moment the drs are saying no problem - yeah, right !!! which is why I thought I'd see what others on here had encountered.

[Hidden]

I have just discovered two things about this website.

First is that if you use the search box on the right top corner for gallbladder, cholycistitis etc it brings up all the references.

Second, if you click on the green tags on eg gallbladder, it brings up references on other patiet group sites as well.