markwebb

Anybody have laproscopic surgery to remove their gallbladder? How quickly were you back on your bike ?

It's been 2 weeks for me and I feel pretty good. Still a little sore if you press on my belly.

JayC

I had mine out about 7 years ago. It was a good month before I was back to regular activity. I felt okay but everytime I exerted myself, I'd get weak and nauseas.

Something else you need to watch out for is bile duct spasms... they feel just like a gallbladder attack. I still have them to this day, especially after a really hard hammerfest ride.

markwebb

The good thing is I have had NO symptoms or digestive issues since they sucked my gallbladder out !!! Just some soreness from the incision punctures. It's been 2 weeks now - from what I've read most people that have recurring issues have them soon after surgery. Of course I am watching my diet closely - no fried food low fat diet so I don't trigger a massive bile dump to digest the fats !! I am now just owndering if I can get back on trainer and start working oiut 14 days after surgery or I need to wait longer, based on other BF member experience.

Coyote2

Seems like you might get good advice from your physician, don't you think?

DrPete 

1. Talk to your surgeon.

2. FWIW, most of my gallbladder patients are back to normal activity in 2 weeks or so...

ken cummings

I'd talk to My physician about it as he is a sports medicine specialist (and does the doping tests at local triathalons) . Other doctors might try to keep you off the bike for extended periods due to their ignorance

DrPete 

Um, no. There is no better source than the surgeon doing the operation. Sports medicine docs may know a lot, but making recommendations on recovery from cholecystectomy is well outside that doc's scope of practice.

HWS

+1 on watching the diet. I had no advice from my surgeon and was completely off guard about this after my GB was removed in 1995. Needless to say, I became very familiar with the location of the nearest mens room where ever I went!

DrPete 

Eating fatty food after your gallbladder is out wouldn't trigger any pain--what would happen, though, is that you'd have some greasy/floating stools... This is probably what HWS experienced.

The body does a pretty good job of compensating for loss of the gallbladder in most cases.

But either way, if your surgeon can't answer these questions for you and make you feel comfortable about aftercare/long term effects, etc. don't settle. Find another surgeon.

jimbud

Two weeks after surgery you'll be ready to get back in the saddle. Just take it easy for a couple more weeks. Greasy foods bad after gall bladder surgery!!!

Dynamic

Hey I had surgery on my chest (different reason) and it was 3 months before they said I could ride again. This was because the three month point is when my chest was healed enough that, if I crashed, I'd be in a lot of pain but no damage would occur because of an unhealed surgery wound (well not wound...)

SO, if the doc says that crashing is fine, I'd do it.

DrPete 

A thoracotomy incision is WAAAAAY different from 3-4 laparoscopic port sites on the belly.

Dynamic

Not a damn clue what that means doc

had pectus excavatum (metal bar in place, lame) at the san diego childrens hospital

markwebb

I saw surgeon for 2 week post-op evaluation. All is well. She said I could ride my bike, get back bench pressing, even start sit-ups.

I got on trainer for 20 minutes yesterday. It felt good to stretch and sweat. I also did 2x sets on bench press. I did feel a little pulling/discomfort so I did not push it and I did not do any sit-ups. I'll hold off working abs for a while.

BTW for last several years I have been on a medication called cholestyrene. Doc thinks that may be why I am asymtomatic with no digestive issue post-op. It's often prescribed post-op after gall bladder removal. She also said that in a month or so I may try and eliminate it altogether - without a sick gall bladder my liver may work well enough so that the bile is more regularly output into intestines and not so sporatic and unpredictible.

markwebb

3-4 laparoscopic port sites = 3 rather small puncture-like incisions. No stitches, little trauma to muscles, quick recovery.

DrPete 

There are stitches--you just can't see them and they're absorbable.

markwebb

She did good work - I have worse looking scratches on my hand from wrestling and playing with our cat last nite than what's left of the incisions on my belly

I tell ya what - the state of medicine in 2007 is amazing. I suppose 100 years ago you'd expect to die from a sick gall bladder clogged with a large stone. Now they do the surgery and have you eat something a few hours later, then send you home. And 2 weeks later it's like it never happened.

My hats off to you guys and gals in medicine - pure genius and dedication. You folks are amazing !!!!

Schrup

My experience last year wasn't as pleasant. They missed a couple of stones that backed up into my liver & had to be removed 6 months later after several misdiagnosis. The good thing was, it motivated me to get into the best shape of my life to ensure that my lifestyle (sans crashes) doesn't cause me another nightmare ER visit.

JayC

So you were outpatiented? Thats cool.. they admitted me and put me in a room with an old guy that had had a stroke. It was a miserable time.. guy couldnt communicate, hollered jibberish all night, soiled himself... fun city.

As soon as the doctor came in the next morning and told me I could go home, I was up, shoes on and trying to find someone to wheel me out of the place.

markwebb

Actually, I went into ER the day before. They kept me overnite and did surgery around 2pm the next day. I was home by 9pm evening that day of surgery.

xerocoma

A cycling buddy of mine had this procedure over the summer.. he was in his first year of cycling and it took him 5 weeks before he got back on his bike...

dekindy

Trainer sounds like a good idea. Don't do rollers. No crashing and no worrying about getting a ride home if you start feeling bad. Take it easy at first. Isn't the nausea more from the anaesthesia that a particular type of surgery?

eb314

Wow, Dr. Pete is having a field day in here.

Ray9

Wow. I found a ten-year-old thread. I had my gallbladder out on May 4th-15 days ago. I've been on my seated recumbent trainer for a week and am planning to get back on my bike Monday. When I'm sitting and lean forward I can feel something like a pressure where the gallbladder was. I was really tired for the first week but feel good now. I'm wondering if the constant leaning forward could have an effect on the gallbladder. I'm researching the medical literature on cyclists and gallbladder issues.

RPK79

I've not had any issues post surgery in 2013.