Life Expectancy After Gall Bladder Removal

[HerkMondo]

My 18 year old sister is going into surgery to get her gallbladder removed it so unreal i mean why her shes healthy WTF.  According to the doctors it was hereditary and her gallbladder has gone bad at first they thought she had gastritis they later found out that was not the case. I feel real bad for her cause after this she will never be the same she wont be able to eat fatty foods unless she want to become fat.  The gallbladder is designed to break down fatty foods but with out it shes pretty much screwed I'm so mad why the **** did this have to happen to her i mean shes to young for this ****. I don't want her to later in life get sick from her liver or other organs do to an absent gallbladder. So far i bin reading articles on people who have gotten there gallbladder removed and most of them have bin having miserable lives and others have gained lots of weight cause theirs no way to break down the fat in the foods they eat. Others have died a few years after they have gotten it removed and thats what scares me. It makes you think what is the life expectancy after gall bladder removal?

Functions of the galbladder

http://www.liverdoctor.com/index.php?page=liver-problems&subpage=gall-bladder

The gall bladder is the organ responsible for digesting fats -- especially animal fats. Once the gall bladder is gone, it is necessary to strictly follow a low-fat diet, which is unfortunate, because it is not the optimal diet for anyone. Low-fat diets cause people to crave carbohydrates, have trouble feeling full after meals, brain fog, memory and concentration issues, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and may other issues. What's done is done though, and you move forward with what you have.

It is important for your mom to take digestive enzymes -- make sure that they are high in lipase -- and a multiflora probiotic as well as a prebiotic. Mega Flora is a great probiotic. I'm not sure you will be able to readily find pre-biotics in your health food or vitamin store. If you have trouble finding one, email me and I will help you.

This drink will help your mom's liver function more optimally, which is much more important once the gall bladder is gone . . .

Famous People without that have died Gallbladders

http://************/forums/fm.asp?i=389506

Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) had his gallbladder out in 1965 and died of heart failure in 1973 at the age of 65. Some stories are that he complained of having bad insomnia and nightmares in the late 60s (this is a symptom associated w/ liver congestion to many of us here). Although it could have been the Vietnam war too.

James K. Polk (President) At age 16, Polk developed severe Gallstones  which were removed without the benefit of modern technology, sterilization, or anesthesia. Remarkably, he survived the procedure, performed by celebrated Kentucky surgeon Dr. Ephraim McDowell. He lived to the age of 54

Caroll O'connor died in 2001 at the age of 76. Had his GB removed in 1994 and had a follow-up surgery to remove adhesions (scar tissue) around the area.

1994 + 7 = 2001 seven years

According  to another article some one posted that a co-worker had her gallbladder removed five years ago.  She is concerned because she was told that the life expectancy for any person who has their gall bladder removed is seven years.  

Is this true?  My mother had this same surgery last year.


This discussion is related to Life Expectancy After Gall Bladder Removal.

[midnight674]

My mother had her gallbladder removed 32 years ago!! She is still healthy as a horse. And eats what she wants!

[Tinks71]

Thank you everyone for posting your comments - I have to have mine out after years of trouble and not knowing what it was.  I was afraid of long term effects but seems like it should be OK.  I know several people who've had theirs out in their late 20's and have been out for 10+ years that have no problems.  But helps a lot to hear others out there are also generally doing fine.  

[toosick13]

It's highly unlikely your sister will suffer any negative effects from having her gall bladder removed.  Plenty of people are running around without gall bladders.  Mine's been gone since 1999.  I already was on a low-fat, low cholesterol diet, but she doesn't have to stay away from fats the rest of her life.  As someone else already pointed out, the bile that does the work is still there; there just isn't a gall bladder for it to travel through.  Much better to get out a "sick" gall bladder than to keep it !  My daughter was in her early 20's when she had hers out; no problems.  There are much worse internal problems people can have than bad gall bladders; be thankful that's all that was wrong with your sister, and just keep on loving her like you're doing.

[unhealthy420]

I have had my gall bladder out for about 3yrs now and I have not followed a healthy eating plan...I was curious If the recent discovery of my type2 diabetes was related to not following the eating plan? If I follow the Diabetic Diet will that help with some of the Issues I have been having sice I had the gall stones removed?

[MarkHGordon]

Hey, it's not true.  Your sister will be fine.  There's a lot of doom and gloom associated with the removal of the gall bladder, but, I'd venture to say that there are 97% of people who NEVER have a problem after gall bladder removal.  I'm not one of them.  I had some problems immediately after getting mine removed, but the gall bladder only Stores the bile and slowly releases it for the digestion of food.

After the Gall Bladder is removed, the bile just goes directly to the stomach in a slow manner from the liver.  So the bile is still there to break down the foods.

Quit worrying.  That'll make you sick more than anything else.

[gmac1217]

I had my all bladder out 2 yrs ago and I am still kicking. My sureon told me to stay on a low fat diet only for 6 weeks until my body heals and gets used to the fact that it doenst have a gall bladder anymore... I am eating all kinds of fried foods now and have not gained weight in the 2 yrs it's been out. Also my mother and grandma had theres out as well and are still alive and well. My mom had hers out when she was 16 and she is now 48 and my grandma had hers out in her 30's and is now 74. Your sister will be fine....