Has anyone had there Gall bladder removed? Where should I go?

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  1. #1

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    Has anyone had there Gall bladder removed? Where should I go?

    I live in Shenzhen and recently I found out a once small gallstone has gotten big and probably requires me to have my gall bladder removed but I would rather have the operation done in Hong Kong. Is there a doctor or hospital actually that someone here would recommend? Would you know the cost of the operation as well? The surgery is called laparoscopic cholecystectomy.


  2. #2

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    I don't know if this helps but a previous doctor told me I absolutely needed mine out (completely full of stones apparently). I ignored him and two years later, my new doctor said it's better not to take it out unless the stones are causing significant pain. Maybe you can wait and see? I hate parting with body parts.


  3. #3

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    Sent you a PM re. one to avoid...


  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by mLink:
    I live in Shenzhen and recently I found out a once small gallstone has gotten big and probably requires me to have my gall bladder removed but I would rather have the operation done in Hong Kong. Is there a doctor or hospital actually that someone here would recommend? Would you know the cost of the operation as well? The surgery is called laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
    you might try to find out which hospital and which surgeon in the hospital has performed the most of that type of surgery.

    If you know a doctor elsewhere, assuming you are from a western country, you might query him or her on recommendations.

    The air force hospital in Singapore comes well recommended. I had a laparoscopic cholyocystectomy done at RAM hospital in Chiang Mai in 04. So far I am ok.

    Thai medical practice is famous for quality. The cost was tiny compared to the US and probably HK.

    I had experienced bouts of terrible abdominal pain for YEARS before having this done. I was diagnosed after a barium radiation analysis in the US as having merely a hernia. I may have had 2 wrong diagnoses of this condition before experiencing so much pain I had to rush myself to Ram Hospital.

    after the surgery the doctor placed a small jar of little yellow rocks by my hospital bed.
    Last edited by stupocrat; 08-05-2008 at 04:02 PM. Reason: more delightful details.

  5. #5

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    miel:
    I totally agree, I don't want to part with any body part, but it has been really uncomfortable the last few days. I was diagnosed with this a year ago but the stone was really small. now it is 5.5mm(unless i'm reading this wrong and it is 22mm) which they say is too big. I was given some new meds today that if after 3 days work, will buy me some time to figure out what I will do but the pills are just a temp fix.

    stupocrat:
    Well, I went to the best hospital in Shenzhen today(according to my friends) and the surgeon there says he does 4 or 5 of this kind of surgery per day. To me that sounds like he should know what he is doing. I never thought of goin to Singapore, but that is an idea to consider. Is it really considered very good there? Has anyone gotten surgery in Shenzhen? Specifically Beijing University hospital? (Bei Da Yi Yuan)


  6. #6

    Like ""mLink"" I had hoped to hang on to my body parts - even after being diagnosed with Gallstones by a military hospital in Oman.

    I didn't fancy the pre "periscope surgery" of those days & endured the occasional pain for another 10 years or so until a real emergency, life-threatening, incident caused me to "sort myself out" :=


    Ten PLUS years ago I was admitted to Ruttonjee hospital - down in Wanchai - with one or more small gallstones that had succeeded in entering - and blocking my pancreatic duct - and causing agony. Luckily - a specialist in Central had diagnosed me correctly, and I was immediately admitted and was on "no food by mouth" for more than a week before I was fit enough to undergo "Inverted Periscope" surgery !

    I still have a small bottle of extracted gallstones of sizes varying from grains of sand up to un-shelled peanut sized ones.

    I too had suffered - for years - the terrible pains, and referred ones high in my back..... but afterwards, I've been much better, though I have to say that, having no gall bladder sac to store the gall means that I have no store of liquids to break down fatty compounds, the liquid is always leaking into the digestive system .... so I need to watch out for fatty foods and have as little as possible.

    Co$t$ ??? Well as far as I can recall, I had a lot of change back from HK$500 - luckily I'm classified as a dependent of a HK Gov't Civil Servant - so that slashed my bill. <Grin>.

    I'd say, get on to the operating table as soon as possible, the life you save may well be your own.

    As to "where" ? The informed choice has to be yours, but don't expect to be up and running around for several days afterwards.

    When my sister in law drove me home about a week after the operation, every bump in the road was an agony - & her car was a Merc.

    And I needed another week or more before I drove my own car - very carefully around holes in the road.

    Last edited by Nuts&Bolts; 09-05-2008 at 09:41 AM.

  7. #7

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    I understand choosing the place is my responsibility, but I don't live in Hong Kong. I maybe get in Hong Kong maybe once a month for a day trip. I don't know any hospitals and I don't know which may have more experience in giving the surgery. Also, from what I've read, the surgery is a very quick one and the person can go home the same day but of course would need to rest for a while and eat mostly clear liquids for a while. Maybe China and Hong Kong are the same in that sense. I talked to a surgeon here in shenzhen yesterday. He said the surgery costs about 9000yuan including 6 days in the hospital. Afterwards I can go home. I don't have alot of money, but I feel I'd be better taken care of in a Hong Kong hospital.


  8. #8

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    Thanks for the story Nuts&Bolts. I appreciate it and every bit of advice so far. I hope more people who've had this procedure can tell me about it and like I asked, suggest some hospitals or doctors that I should call.


  9. #9

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    I agree - DON'T have it removed!!!!!

    You need it for bile and proper digestion.

    EVERONE has stones, and more than they think.

    You should really check out Dr. Hulda Clark's book, the "Cure for all diseases". A simple "liver cleanse" consisting of OLIVE OIL (basically) will clean your GALL and LIVER (yes, your liver has stones in it too) through your STOOL - not the urinary tract which is what is so feared.

    I'll send you the book in pdf format if you want it. PM me if you want it.

    You'll be shocked by what you read. really. don't operate unless you're in dire danger. But most gall bladders don't need to be removed.


  10. #10

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    I've looked into the cleanses. From what I've read I never see lots of support. I never see one place on the internet that's had a lot of people saying . I had a stone, I did a flush, I went and got an ultrasound and my galbladder was as good as new showing no stones in the picture. All I ever read about are people who have done the flush and seen little balls in their stool that float. When reading on it stones are actual stones and should not float and what they are seeing is mostly from the oil they've been drinking down. If you know of a place showing me proof that it works, I'd try it, but it'd be hard to sell me on it. The surgeon i saw said, my stone is somewhat large and could not fit down the connecting tube(the one that the bile passes normally passes through I suppose). I wouldn't mind reading the book though, so send it along. I'd hate to do this cleanse and somehow get the stone lodged somewhere causing all kinds of other serious problems.


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