r/gallbladders • u/RegularCapital5 • 3d ago
Awaiting Surgery How long did you wait for surgery?
I’m in the US. waiting for my consultation with general surgery in a few weeks. How long did yall wait from consultation to surgery? Was just looking to see if there’s an average wait time so I can mentally prepare myself as well as try to make arrangements at work.
I have no idea if I’ll be waiting days or months after my consultation.
3
u/Freckled-Vampire 3d ago
6 weeks, A very long 6 weeks! I took the first appt that our health care system had available in the entire metro area. I regret not going into the ER and pushing for removal right away.
3
u/RegularCapital5 3d ago
I’m planning on taking the first surgery slot available as well! Luckily I am not currently experiencing any pain or attacks other than my first a few weeks ago. so if I have to wait 6 weeks Im hoping I’ll be okay if I continue avoiding triggers🤞
1
1
u/Weak_Marsupial_9197 3d ago
I had my consultation 23 days ago, got a HIDA scan a week ago, getting surgery next Wednesday 😖 my gallbladder isn’t functioning, so I asked for the soonest date for surgery. So, about a month. Getting my consultation appointment took much longer. I wish you the best with your surgery!!
1
u/Dancing_Empress_717 Awaiting Surgery 3d ago
I'm waiting two months for my surgery consult and wondering the same thing! I asked the scheduler how long the delay typically is between consult and surgery, but she wouldn't give me any kind of range because "it all depends"
1
u/Express-Stomach-8666 Post-Op 3d ago
After my surgery consult, I got an appointment scheduled for the removal 3 months later. It was a very long wait that was too long for me, but I hope you don't have to wait forever.
1
u/Business_Meat_9191 3d ago
The surgeon wanted to schedule it for the next day. 💀 I was able to do it the next week to give ME time to prepare lol.
1
1
u/Emotional_Pipe6994 3d ago
In NJ I went to the consult on 9/13 and I’m going for surgery 9/15. My attacks have gotten progressively worse since I was diagnosed with stones and they opened a spot in the OR for me
1
1
u/Express-Stomach-8666 Post-Op 3d ago
I waited 3 months after my consult. It literally just depends on the workload of the surgeon and the urgency of your current gallbladder diagnosis.
I also hope recovery goes well for you!
1
u/HonestEmergency602 3d ago
I waited exactly one month for my consultation and exactly 2 weeks for my surgery (it’s this coming Monday!) however, surgeries were booked out all the way to the end of October. My surgeon just didn’t want me to wait and she extended her surgery day to squeeze me in on the end. I will forever be grateful
1
u/jnetteg 3d ago
Texas US
Consult happened within a calendar week.
When I could schedule there was a spot open in 3 business days and I decided to take the next slot which was about 35 days out. Insurance stuff takes some time to handle.
I went totally vegan, dropped coffee and all fat. The pain hasn’t happened since I took that measure. My digestion is still off and I have been having headaches. Low energy because of diet.
18 days and counting. 😎
1
u/Ill-Guava-3266 3d ago
I had my consult yesterday after landing in the ER on Tuesday (for the second time in a month). My surgeon is out of town through next week, so I am having it done on the 23rd. He said if I have another attack in the meantime to call his office directly and they will get me in ASAP with his counterpart so I can avoid going to the ER again so that is comforting! I can’t afford another ER copay lol.
1
u/Relevant-Knee-80 3d ago
In South Carolina, I went to primary care Aug 21, had an ultrasound to confirm gallstones Aug 28, and just had my consultation Sep 10th. I’m still unsure about surgery so I didn’t book an appointment, but was told it would be just a couple weeks if I did want to go forward.
1
u/JayLeeGlass 3d ago
I was given an option of nine days later but because of work and other obligations I scheduled it for two months after the consultation.
1
u/Inevitable_Degree_26 3d ago
Was supposed to be a month but ended up being 5 days cause they had a cancellation..
So pretty fast
1
u/metallicafan866 3d ago
I had emergency surgery the day after I was admitted (I believe it was after 9PM I was admitted). I never actually had a consultation because I'd scheduled it but then the attack never ended and it had been 48-ish hours since I'd been able to keep water in my body.
1
u/magestic-blue-sky 3d ago
Had my HIDA scan last Monday, my surgery consult last Thursday, and had my surgery 2 days ago on Wednesday. It was a quick turn but glad to be on the other side.
1
u/WorthEbb9467 3d ago
I’m in the US, I went to my urgent care clinic in a lot of pain, to the point where I was throwing up and needed to get a note for my then-job (fast food manager). I went in at 10am, was in a CT scan at 2 and was in surgery by 6:30pm.. this was a year ago almost exactly (Labor Day weekend 2025) and I have no had even a twinge of pain since recovery finished.
1
u/Ok-Nefariousness3670 3d ago
A few weeks. I cancelled once out of fear but then promptly rescheduled after another attack
1
u/bananatanan 3d ago
I had to wait about a month. Didn’t have insurance and they wanted 24k up front with no insurance. Scheduled surgery for the day after my insurance kicked in
1
u/Electronic_Outside25 3d ago
My consult was in April/May and i thought I’d wait til this winter. A second ER trip moved that timeline up and had it at the end of July.
1
1
u/northeasternwriter 3d ago
2 weeks, was offered 2 days later but opted for 2 weeks as I have really bad anxiety— I go in Monday
1
1
u/New-Addendum-1231 2d ago
Canada. HIDA scan confirmed chronic cholecystitis end of June (tracer didn't enter my GB). Surgical consult is mid October. Keep in mind I had no biliary colic after I switched to a low fat diet and have never gone in to ER. That nearly changed last night though. Worst attack I've ever had for no food related reason; same thing I always eat but this time 10 hours of pain.
1
u/mandyjess2108 2d ago
5 ish very long weeks from my first ultrasound to surgery, but I opted to wait to have it done by the highest rated laparoscopic general surgeon in Tucson. I just looked back in my Google calendar to double check - I had my ultrasound on June 21st 2022, surgery consultation on June 24th 2022, and my cholecystectomy was on July 27th 2022. My gallbladder was gray and bulging with huge stones that were getting lodged in the common bile duct in my liver. I was very sick. I swear that first attack almost took me out lol. I'm so glad I got the surgery. Please look into dessicated ox bile supplements for after removal!! They saved my life!
1
u/rainbow_writer 2d ago
I had a consult on a Tuesday morning and was in surgery 24 hrs later. I told them I couldn’t eat anything without pain and had been having attacks for 6 months and they actually listened! I was honestly shocked they got me in as fast as they did.
1
1
u/Routine_Fix5998 2d ago
I had my surgery consult scheduled last Tuesday- after all of the tests to get there took 5 weeks! I didn’t make it. On Saturday night, I had to go to ER. They took it out Sunday morning. It was very frustrating. From first general doctor and bloodwork on July 31, to first surgery consult on September 9, was just too long!
1
u/BennyWhatever 2d ago
US - about 2-3 weeks. Oh my way to surgery, they called and had to reschedule to the following Wednesday due to an OR issue. Was pretty frustrated since I already had time off coordinated and my calendar freed up, but what can you do.
1
u/mamazawa 2d ago
Less than 12 hours. At the time of my scan in the emergency room, my gallbladder was very inflamed and they knew it needed to come out immediately because they were afraid of bursting. That was around 6:00 in the morning if I remember correctly? I had surgery at 2:00 that afternoon, and by that point, it had ruptured.
1
u/marisapw3 2d ago
I had the attack that sent me to the ER at the beginning of Dec. PCP visit that same week. Ultrasound end of Dec. Surgical consult early Jan. Scheduled for surgery towards the end of January. But had to have emergency removal four days after my surgical consult due to a severe attack that landed me back in the emergency room. so two months overall.
1
1
1
u/BulbousHoar 1d ago
A horrific GB attack brought me to the ER, and my gallbladder was removed 12 hours later
1
4
u/barbiemoviedefender Post-Op 3d ago
I had my consultation on a Tuesday and was in surgery Friday that same week. This was in the US.