can gallstones return?

suzanne4, RN · Dec 29, 2005

Yes, they can come back. Not that often, but they do. They can be found later on in the ducts also.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2005

I recently had a patient that had a severely large stone develop in a bile duct left after gallbladder removal.

Blew my mind, but I guess it can occur.

suzanne4, RN · Dec 29, 2005

Remember that the gallbladder is essentially a holding-tank for gallstones, if they develop, and can make their way down to it. Many times they can get stuck in the bile duct. And where do they originate?

Not in the gallbladder.

Fonenurse · Dec 31, 2005

I had my gall bladder out 3 weeks ago. My surgeon also performed a cholangiogram at the time of surgery to ensure that all remaining stones had gone. Gall stones following surgery are most likely to have been passing out of the gallbladder and into the bile duct. It is unusual to have stones after surgery, but they are more common if you have other treatments to remove just the stones. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gallstones/#additional

BoomerRN · Sep 11, 2006

I had severe pain in my right side last month and following an ultrasound it was found I had multiple stones in the gall bladder and a stone blocking the bile duct. I had two ERCP's, because nothing could be seen in the first one due to swelling and now am scheduled for a cholecystectomy 9/18. I am very nervous even though I'm a nurse (maybe that's why I am nervous,lol?), but have any of you had this surgery lately? I will be sent home the same day. Thanks.

emllpn2006 · Sep 11, 2006

I had mine taken out about 8 years ago at the young age of 19 but it was the same laproscopic procedure that most doctors do still. As far as the surgery went it was very easy. I went in at about 8am and was home on the couch by noon. I did end up back in the ER a couple times the next day (yes that is more than once!!) But that was found out to be due to a unknown allegry to Lortab. Once we figured that out and I started taking plain old Tylenol for paid I was shopping at the mall on day 3 and went back to work 1 week after surgery.

JentheRN05, RN · Sep 11, 2006

I had my gallbladder out when my daughter was 13 days old. Had been living the past 12 years (yes 12 years - since I was 11 or 12 years old) with gallbladder attacks, and toward the end of my pregancy I was having 1 a week. Couldn't take it anymore. Anyway - since then I have passed stones probably 1 time a year, I'm guessing they just land in the gut and sit there. No where else for them to go. I've never had it checked out because, well whats the point? It's the same pain (not quite as intense - but sometimes it is) and I've lived with the original pain for 12 years so I just am used to it. I'm just glad it isn't as often as it used to be.

Rxlover · Sep 11, 2006

Don't worry BoomerRN, I had mine out last May. I went in at 8am and went home about 5pm after I woke up and used the bathroom at least once. I was off for one month, but was up and around the following week for my Daughter's Kindergarten graduation. I feel so much better. Mine was a quick onset. I found out in January and was scheduled for surgery the following week. I have asthma so I had to get that under control before the surgery could happen, hence the wait til May. With all that said, it was fairly simple.

BoomerRN · Sep 12, 2006

I had mod. amts. of pain over the year under my arm and in shoulder blade and thought I had pulled a muscle. I take care of my baby grandson. But, the last painful bout was awful and I decided I better go and see what was causing it. I figured it was the gallbladder. I was told by the dr. doing my two ERCP's that the ampulla was so swollen that a stone either had passed and blocked bile drainage or was still in the bile duct. My liver enzymes went sky high and bile was in my urine and by this time I was jaundiced. It scared me because I thought my liver/pancreas may be damaged. I have a high pain tolerance but this was too much. My PCP gave me Vicodan which helped the pain. I have multiple stones in the gb and my PCP said that the stones can bounce around and cause blockage. The day the terrible pain started I had walked on the treadmill for about 15 min. I tried to get the surgery sooner but couldn't get this surgeon to move any faster than 1 month. Thanks for the encouragement, will let you know how the surgery goes.

BoomerRN · Sep 12, 2006

I forgot to mention that for an elevated total cholesterol of 244 in May, 2005, my PCP recommended I take Policosonol 10 mg qd. It is derived from sugar beets. I took it x1 yr. and in May, 2006 my total cholesterol was 178. I had not tried to watch my food intake during the year. I think this substance caused the gallstones. I mentioned this to one dr. and he didn't think so and the surgeon said he hadn't even heard of Policosonol.

Alixandra · Sep 15, 2006

I had mine out at 25 and I went in at 6 AM to get everything done and was out before noon. I spent several days on the couch watching TV. I will say if you watch TV do not watch anything that will make you laugh, that really hurts. I turned on a George Lopez special I had DVRed and everytime I laughed it really hurt(not as bad as the gallbladder attacks though.) I will say I didn't have stones, mine was chronically inflamed and scarred and the surgeon could see the scarring with his naked eye and said that it looked really painful and didn't look like the gallbladder of a 25 year old.

The surgery wasn't that bad, worst thing I had was some nausea but Reglan took care of that. I was back to my normal life in a week and that included taking care of my 2.5 year old, which obviously involved some lifting of a 25-29 lb(I think, can't remember how much he weighed, but it was under 30 lbs) child on my part.

Taryn