[Treatment Review] Gallstone Surgery Experience and Management Tips

I posted something about gallstone surgery last time.

I am reposting this to supplement the content and participate in the 'Health Tips Event'.

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Gallstones in the gallbladder are common among many people, and most of the time they do not cause significant symptoms, so they do not interfere with daily life.

However, in my case, I have been taking medication for years due to severe indigestion and bloating, thinking it was a stomach problem, but an abdominal ultrasound revealed gallstones.

There are also cases like mine where severe pain interferes with daily life.

Then, I will explain a little more about gallbladder gallstones.

 

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Gallbladder gallstones Gallbladder stones are small crystals or stones that form inside the gallbladder, mainly composed of cholesterol or non-cholesterol components that coagulate within the gallbladder. The main types of gallstone are cholesterol gallstones and non-cholesterol gallstones. Cholesterol gallstones mostly occur when the cholesterol concentration in bile is high, while non-cholesterol gallstones are mainly formed due to infection or inflammation. [if !supportEmptyParas] [endif] Gallbladder stones are usually asymptomatic, but if the stones block the bile duct or cause infection of the gallbladder, the following symptoms may appear. [if !supportEmptyParas] [endif] 1. Right upper abdominal pain: Usually occurs after meals or when pressure is applied, and there is a possibility of acute cholecystitis. 2. Abdominal discomfort: Symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, and a feeling of rejection may occur. 3. Vomiting and indigestion: Digestive processes may become difficult due to obstruction of bile flow.

 

In my case, all three of these symptoms persisted severely.

The pain was so severe that I couldn't eat well, and I would vomit as if I had indigestion after eating. Because of that, I couldn't sit still and kept getting up from my seat, tapping my chest and bouncing up and down repeatedly.

It caused significant disruption to daily life.

If there are no symptoms, it is not necessary to remove gallstones, but if symptoms are severe or complications occur, cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal surgery) may be performed to remove the gallstones.

 

 

 

Medical treatment process

My gallstone was not large enough to require immediate surgery, but its unfavorable position caused severe pain.

I endured several years of discomfort, and after discovering gallstones, I endured even more severe pain for several months.

The hospital that discovered gallstones through ultrasound recommended surgery and provided a referral to a larger hospital.

The doctor in charge at the university hospital I visited actually made a remark that they consider surgery to be easy.

I also did not want surgery, and I only visited for a detailed examination to check if there was no problem due to severe pain, but the doctor explained that if the pain is severe, over-the-counter painkillers won't work, and that I should go to the emergency room to receive opioid pain medication to alleviate it.

I was in so much pain every day that I couldn't carry out my daily activities, so I couldn't understand whether I was supposed to go to the emergency room every day and receive opioid painkillers. It was a really difficult explanation to understand.

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Since then, the pain has been severe enough to significantly interfere with daily life, and after stubbornly enduring the pain, one day in the early morning, I called 119 and was taken to the emergency room.

I was told that during the foolish process of enduring the pain, some gallstones already broke off and blocked the bile duct, causing severe inflammation, and the liver function tests were at dangerous levels, almost leading to sepsis, which was a critical situation.

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Surgical details

Since a part of the gallstone had fallen into the bile duct during the process of tolerating the pain, two procedures were necessary.

First, a procedure was performed to remove the gallstones that had fallen into the bile duct using an endoscope. After about two days of recovery, a second surgery was carried out to remove the gallbladder, resulting in double suffering.

 

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Postoperative complications and management methods

I didn't want surgery, but my quality of life changed after the operation.

I couldn't eat for about a year due to pain, and social life was very difficult, but after surgery, once I passed the recovery period, I eat very well and regain my vitality.

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Of course, there were also sequelae during the postoperative transitional period.

For a few months, there were many cases of sharp abdominal pain resembling a stabbing sensation caused by abnormal gas symptoms that can occur during the process of the organs settling into place.

I often experienced diarrhea immediately after eating food.

For several months, it was difficult to live outside.

However, these symptoms gradually decreased over a few months, and now I am able to eat well and live normally without any significant difficulties.

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I still don't discriminate against greasy meats and such foods, and when I eat, I experience diarrhea like symptoms of indigestion.

Many people have their gallbladder removed and avoid greasy foods.

It seems that digesting greasy foods might be somewhat difficult.

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Still, when I think about the pre-surgery period when I was living with pain, I feel much happier after the surgery.

If you are experiencing pain from gallstones, don't endure it too much and consider surgery.

I am writing this to let you know that always enduring is not the only way for everyone.

In some cases, the size or location of the gallstones may cause problems, so if you experience severe pain, I recommend seeking medical consultation in advance to explore appropriate treatment options.