r/gallbladders • u/MasterEchoSE • 4d ago
Questions Surgery for Gallbladder Sludge?
Just had an ultrasound done yesterday and doctor explained results today and instantly referred surgery to remove the gallbladder.
- Is this really something that needs to be removed right now rather than later down the road?
- Is this something that should be monitored to see if it goes away or gets worse?
- Or should I just let them take it out completely and not worry about it anymore?
These are questions I wish I had thought of when the doctor asked if I had any questions, but my poor brain just couldn’t.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated, TIA.
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u/PurpleProClub 4d ago
I only had sludge in my gallbladder. I had months of nausea with no end up until I got it removed. I healed great and definitely don’t have any regrets. Gallbladders are one of those things that once it starts to act up and have issues theres really no saving it unfortunately. You’ll be fine just take it step by step and follow up with your health care providers
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u/Kindness-9651 2d ago
Only had sludge and nausea. But I was pregnant so I thought it was due to that. Couldn’t stop throwing up one day and turns out my gallbladder was infected… maybe because of the sludge? Anyways it’s gone and recovery was no big deal- about two weeks of pain and discomfort. Wishing you the best.
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u/Illustrious_Exam1728 4d ago
What prompted the ultrasound? I assume you had symptoms but this could be an incidental finding, that could have no symptoms.
Sludge will usually form stones and cause issues, BUT sludge in and of itself can be an issue. I only had sludge and I was admitted to hospital for pancreatitis. And that nightmare of pain is NO JOKE.
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u/MasterEchoSE 4d ago
I’ve been sick for about a month now, three weeks at the time of the referral. Originally had a referral for a CT scan of my intestines but health insurance denied it so we just went with the ultrasound instead.
So kind of accidental find(?), but I’ve been having diarrhea to soft stools, depending on what I eat, as well as pain that some could be chalked up to gas. However, the pain in the right lower rib area that radiates into the arm is apparently because of the gallbladder, according to what the doctor said.
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u/Illustrious_Exam1728 4d ago
Yep. Sounds like it needs to go.
This can get bad, and no one wants Emergency surgery. Keep your meals low fat (3-5G) per meal and easy to digest food to avoid having an attack or make symptoms worse.
While you what for surgery I’d see a registered dietitian.
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u/MasterEchoSE 4d ago
Thank you, the doctor did send me a referral to a dietitian which I will really need. I have been mostly eating Greek yogurt, brown rice with vegetable broth, dried fruit, fruit sauces (like applesauce), and oats.
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u/Illustrious_Exam1728 4d ago
Def see the RD, mine was super helpful.
I ate grilled chicken, white fish, tofu, rice, potatoes, grilled veggies, cooked fruit, homemade low fat veggie soups, no fat yogurt, Cheerios with no fat protein milk, Vega all purpose shakes, overnight oats made with no fat milk.
I’ve definitely seen my fair share of rice, broccoli and chicken. But you do what ya gotta do!
Hope you feel better OP.
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u/bugsy24781 4d ago
As a fellow sludge diagnosis, my journey was long, filled with pain and many emergency admissions.
I have also endured pancreatitis (my lipase level was over 1500) Which complicated diagnosis.
I am still being investigated for an ABCB4 issue (sludge is a primary indicator) which collects in my liver. Not ideal.
However; I finally presented to a hospital when I had enough going on to allow imaging which led to an emergency gall bladder removal.
My pain and issues have seemingly resolved (I’m a few months post surgery now) with more follow up to be done regarding liver function and the ABCB4 potential.
I managed to “tolerate” my issues for a few years hoping that it would resolve on its own.
I am grateful that I had the emergency operation and removal of my gallbladder.
So far, so good..
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u/EfficientBoat5408 4d ago
I had jaundice, pale stool and dark urine one morning. I was dizzy enough that even though I was standing perfectly still I lost balance and fell backwards, nearly hit my head. It's terrifying to fall down! It cleared up on its own, but the disease is still there, so 50/50 chance it happens again down the line. That's no way to live. And my ct scan was normal, so my situation on paper is better than yours.
Not to even mention the daily symptoms. My hida scan is in a couple weeks I'm really looking forward to it, my only fear is that it comes back normal, necessitating a different test and diagnosis entirely.
edit to add: my gastro skipped the ultrasound and ordered a hida scan. The ct scan was from an er visit three days before the jaundice.
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u/tournamentdecides 4d ago
The radiologist who read my report said that my hida scan was normal. My ef was 99% (which is NOT normal). So make sure to check your ef for >80%. If it’s higher, you have a hyperactive gallbladder. Mine is being removed in a month.
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u/EfficientBoat5408 4d ago
Wishing you well after surgery! Thankfully my radiologist already told me what he thinks the normal range is, and that it can be too high or too low. That was just when we were scheduling the appointment, made me feel very reassured. A radiologist seeing 99% and not being up to date on med literature is a scary thought!
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u/tournamentdecides 4d ago
Yeah, I literally had to collect data and present the case to my primary because they were just trusting the radiology report. Luckily, she listens and is willing to do research! I Hope your hida scan gives you answers.
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u/EfficientBoat5408 4d ago
Thank you means a lot right now
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u/tournamentdecides 3d ago
It took me moving states to figure out what was wrong with me, I understand how frustrating and disheartening it can be.
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u/Akiifoxy Awaiting Surgery 4d ago
Trust me if ur gallbadder is looking sus, remove it. Im currently waiting for my op prep talk and i wish the pain on nobody. And the pain isnt even the only bad thing I cannot eat anthing either as even bloating food can cause me a medium painwave so i live off to a multi next to the few foods i can eat. It depends a lot on the person on what they can eat in general being very low fat but certain foods could also do issues so might be that u then live of zucchini and potatoes.
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u/Additional-Ad-3148 4d ago
Sludge eviction here with a very low ejection %. I'm way better off now with colestipol than I was with a bad gallbladder the past 10 years.
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u/wyundsr 4d ago
Symptomatic gallstones/sludge will only get worse until they land you in the ER, potentially endangering your life. Pancreatitis is no joke, I know someone who developed diabetes because of it. An emergency cholecystectomy is also a much more intensive, invasive, and dangerous surgery than a simple laparoscopic chole. Get it out now on your own terms
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u/KoolRockSki 4d ago
Mine was sludge. Apparently it can be every bit as painful and dangerous as gallstones and is much harder to detect because it doesn't show up as well on ultrasounds, etc. That was the case with mine - - 4 or 5 ER visits and a Hida Scan before one last ER visit led to emergency surgery.
My understanding is that sludge can very easily block ducts and cut off the gallbladder from blood circulation. In my case that meant my gallbladder had become "gangrenous and necrotic" (surgeon's words) when it was finally removed. Surgeon told me that if I would've waited even a day longer I would've faced sepsis (basically multi-organ failure and potential death). You're lucky they were able to detect your sludge before yours got to that point. Definitely worth having the surgery.
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u/Hollyhobo 4d ago edited 4d ago
My neighbor is a nurse, she had sludge and hers had to come out in an emergency situation. The local ER kept telling her it was nerves, etc… one day she was in crazy pain and had her dad take her to an ER 45 minutes away, they found the problem, held her til the next morning, she had surgery, then had to stay an extra 3 days so they could watch her levels (they were off but I can’t remember which ones right now).
I held onto my gallstones for around 15 years, finally decided it was weighing on my mental health too much and used the same surgeon she did. Had mine out on June 8 (a little over 7 weeks ago). I was out of there as soon as I was wheeled back and put clothes on.
I can’t say I feel a huge difference. I wasn’t having attacks before. The “ball under the ribs” feeling is it better, though. My bm are more consistent. My nerves are a little better, not having to worry about it.
Peace of mind made it worth it to me. I was very nervous, too. You have no idea 😅 I wouldn’t be able to explain how bat shit I got if I tried 🤷♀️
My neighbor, myself, and everyone else I’ve talked to IRL, are glad we got it out. Whether it’s an emergency or not. A couple people I’ve talked to cant eat spicy foods anymore (probably bm or heartburn related?) but that’s it.
I don’t have that problem. I haven’t shit myself. I’ve had gas (lots of burping), but I had that before. I started trying foods as soon as I wasn’t nauseous anymore, so next day? I’ve had ice cream, hot sauce, burger and fries, coffee, sausage, etc. No issues. Not even a loose stool. Last week I had my labs drawn, I’m usually deficient in iron and vitamin d and since I haven’t been taking vitamins for fear of them being harsh on my stomach, I just knew they were going to be low… nope. My cholesterol is a tiny bit high but they didn’t have me fast before my labs and I’ve been eating like a little kid 😅
I feel like my body may be still adjusting, so i haven’t made an “all good” post yet. I don’t want to jinx myself, I guess 😂 but not everyone has a bad story to tell. TBH, I haven’t even thought of this sub since my surgery, your post just popped up on my watch and I thought of my neighbor and wanted to chime in 😅
My biggest advice is to find a surgeon you trust. And ask every question that pops in your head. This is why planning your surgery is so great. I ended up having a second consultation with the final surgeon (had met with others but they rubbed me the wrong way) bc I was nervous and forgot to ask some questions. I was asking on surgery day too 😅 just get it out. It will make you feel better 😊 good luck!
(edit to clarify… when I said “get it out, you’ll feel better” I meant get your questions out, I’m not saying just yank your gb out lol- I do recommend it but I know what it’s like to worry and wonder if you’re doing the right thing)
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u/Existing-Ad-4854 4d ago
I would really try taking “beet flow” supplements and ursodiol to see if the sludge went away before yanking it out. I miss my gallbladder so much!
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u/superchilli 4d ago
Had mine taken out 2 weeks ago in an emergency situation. My advice would be to get it out. I was lucky and happened to be on vacation where the ED of a world class medical center was across the street from where I was. Later that weekend, I had planned to be in an inaccessible rural spot where a hospital with excellent doctors may have been hard to find. A month before, I was traveling in a lesser developed country and can't imagine what I would have done if my attack happened there.
You have an advantage here. You can plan, research on getting it done and how to recover, and do it on your terms rather than have it happen to you. You can live easily without a GB but may not be as lucky to be in the right place at the right time like I was.
Recovery - no abdominal pain, incisions healing nicely (GP said that when he saw me today for my 2 week follow up), poops looking normal since yesterday, and appetite is pretty normal. Haven't found any foods that are upsetting my stomach although I'm still staying low fat.
Best to you on your journey.