If you've had gallbladder surgery...

[Laurie]

The GI dr. told dh on Friday that he needs to get rid of his gallbladder, but he hasn't scheduled the surgery yet. I asked him if the doctor gave him any instructions about what to eat while he's waiting and he said the doctor didn't say anything about diet.

 

If you've been through this, did your doctor tell you what to eat/not to eat in the days before surgery to try to avoid an attack? I was assuming low or no fat but without any instructions from the doctor I've ended up looking like the big meanie around here. :sad: Thanks for any advice you can share!

[Laura in VA]

Yes, I was told to avoid fatty foods. Hope he can schedule surgery soon!

[LunaLee]

I ssuppose it just depends on the doc. I know some that are very good at telling patients to alter their diet to help avoid an attack. But I've also known others, dh's included, that think it's okay to eat as normal. If he avoids greasy, fatty, and rich foods he should be okay.

[jensway]

Had my gallbladder out 2.5 yrs. ago. To keep the gallbladder calm prior to surgery I would avoid fatty, fried, spicy and hard to digest foods such as raw vegetables (salads) or eggs. Also caffeine is not great at this time.

[Hillary in KS]

You know, you can call the surgeon's office and ask the nurse. They answer this sort of question all the time, and would probably prefer that your dh is eating wisely before surgery.

[Quiver0f10]

Yes, avoid all fats until the surgery and any food that might have bothered him previously such as eggs, cheese etc.

[cjzimmer1]

My first attack was so severe and a stone got lodged that my surgery was scheduled immediately as nothing but liquids would stay down. My mom however was diagnosed at a time where it was impossible for her to have surgery (my parents were self-employed in a seasonal business and this happened right at the start of the season). Her doctor advised a diet of non-spicy and non fatty foods. I remember for months she eat broiled fish with lemon juice and broiled chicken breasts, plain rice or pasta etc but she was able to avoid attacks during the season and had her surgery about 6 months later in the off season.

[Laurie]

The doctor said he'd call Friday evening only if the bloodwork hadn't improved (he thought a stone might be causing a blockage given his symptoms ealier in the week). Since we didn't hear anything on Friday I thought it would just be safer to just go with fat-free foods for awhile. Dh is supposed to make the surgery arrangements today...hopefully he won't have to wait too long!

 

Thanks for your help and for being "on-call" over the weekend! ;)