Can gallstones give more problems in pregnancy?

[Mother Goose]

I developed gall stones 5 weeks after having my DD. It was the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life!!! I had my gall bladder removed when DD was 8 weeks old. I then continued to have problems and had an ERCP and sphincterotomy when she was about 5 months. I've not had problems since. After I had mine out, I asked the surgeon if I would have problems if I got pregnant again as I have a friend who had her gall bladder removed 2 years before getting pregnant and she developed pancreatitis during her pregnancy which then caused problems for the baby (as well as her). I was assured that it is not the norm and I could expect a normal and healthy pregnancy.

Gall stones are very common during and post pregnancy. Having your gall stones (or gall bladder) removed does not mean you will not continue to experience the pain from time to time. Your body will continue to produce gall stones anyway (which can be just as painful at times). They will remove the stones if they are very small because they are a risk of finding their way into the pancreas which can cause inflammation and infection.
Pain felt aftera gall bladder is removed is often due to the size of the stones you pass. This can often be fixed with a proceedure called an ERCP as well as a sphincterotomy. This is a proceedure where they widen the canal the stones travel through and snip a bit on the bottom to make the opening extra wide so the stones don't get stuck there.
Having your gall bladder out is done laproscopically and it is an overnight proceedure. The surgeon makes 4 1cm incisions; 1 at your belly button (which is where the gall bladder is removed), one near the bra line and inline with your belly button, and two to one side, usually lateral to the belly button and the other is slightly higher up. Depending on which side of the patient the surgeon prefers to stand on will determine which side those other two incisions are. Post proceedure a patient can expect to have a little discomfort in the left shoulder which is a result of the gas they use to pump your belly up so they can see what they're doing. People typically experience some discomfort for a couple of days post proceedure.

HTH

MG

[jules30]

thanks for all your replies. I will go get a second opinion. I also had another thought of just keeping to a strict low fat diet to avoid attacks but im sure that when i have got attacks it is not always after eating a fatty meal. I think eostrogen level had something to do with it also.

[pansy]

just wanted to let you know,my sister had gallstones discovered 3 weeks after having her DD..she said the pain was excruciating and i said she may have had an infection after her c Section..It turned out to be Gall stones and she had her gall bladder removed 6 weeks later..She still does get the pain associated with it so is very careful about what she eats..I would seriously be getting another opinion...and look into the option of having it removed ...

[MUMMY4LIFE]

I was told I had gallstones in my 38th week of pregnancy, back in April 06....the pain was unbearable and I was told that possibly after my c-section the procedure would be performed and the stones and gall bladder would be removed. This ended up not being necessary and after the birth, pain disappeared and didn't return until the middle of last year...I had the stones all 13 of them and the gall bladder removed in December of last year.

They generally don't just remove the stones as in most cases the stones will develop again. If you get gallstones, and they can take years to form you have what my Surgeon said, a faulty gall bladder. Gall stones are not natural and are not something that the body will continue to produce after the gall bladder is removed...and most pain should disappear after the procedure.

The liver makes bile and the gall bladder storages that bile until it is needed, generally, after you have eaten as bile helps with digestion. Without a gall bladder you can live a relatively normal life, the bile from the liver just drains directly into the stomach as there is no longer a storage place. The gall bladder contracts when it is expelling bile, stones form when this doesn't happen correctly. The pain comes from the gall bladder contracting down on the stones. If you eat fatty foods it makes the gallbladder work harder and increases your pain.

Gall stones can become dangerous and fatal if they get out of the gall bladder and block the bile ducts into the liver or pancreas...you can become sick very quickly. I have heard about a girl at 20 weeks pregnant, having to have her gall bladder removed...that sounds very unpleasant to me.

HTH's Good luck with your decision...hope everything works out.

[jules30]

thanks for sharing your experience M4L. Im beginning to wonder why my both my doctors (2 that i regularly use) haven't mentioned taking the GB out before getting pregnant.

U would think since it is a pre-existing condition for me that it could definately be possible that it rears its head during pregnancy!!

Will ask specifically ask the doc and get all the pros and cons etc.