Would gallstone lodged in neck of gallbladder require urgent surgery?

domic

Newbie
Messages
2
An MRCP and ultra sound my mother received in oct and nov 2020 both confirmed she has a or the same gallstone permanently lodged in the neck of her gallbladder causing 2 gallstone attacks(1 of her attacks was during a failed ERCP in sept) both with fainting, infection in blood and forcing my mother to be on anti-biotics while in hospital and then also while at home for an additional week, then later another week or longer. Through the years she also had a number of other gallbladder attacks with tests and the doctor always said it was just pancreatis. Finally in 2020 is when the doctor confirmed the gallstones are causing the attacks and that is why he arranged for the ERCP that caused a more serious attack that made her stay in the hospital for 2 weeks with pain in her back and on anti-biotics and while at home.

Shes been watching her diet since then, eating very low or no fat meals and has been off the anti-biotics for 30 days but started to feel a little sick again a day after Christmas as if the infection in her blood is coming back due to the gallstone lodged in the neck and has again received anti-biotics for another 5 days. Her appointment date for gallbladder surgery made by her doctor in early november is for feb 2021, but since the gallstone has been permanently lodged in the neck of her gallbladder since after the failed ERCP in sept or oct, should the doctor have declared a more urgent priority level with a sooner surgery date in nov or dec, instead of feb 2021? Is this doctor breaking hospital policy for failing to declare a more urgent surgery date?
 
Last edited:

TashT1

Well-Known Member
Messages
308
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I can’t speak to whether the doctor is breaking any kind of policy but I feel your concern. My Grandmother has been in a similar condition for 2 months and has required several stays in hospital to have her gall bladder drained after infection.

The only hold up seems to be the availability & staffing levels due to covid. Everyone agrees she needs the operation but it’s not been scheduled yet. In the meantime the constant cycle of infection & treatment only makes her weaker.

I’m glad your mother has a date for her operation, hang in there & I hope all goes well.
 

domic

Newbie
Messages
2
I can’t speak to whether the doctor is breaking any kind of policy but I feel your concern. My Grandmother has been in a similar condition for 2 months and has required several stays in hospital to have her gall bladder drained after infection.

The only hold up seems to be the availability & staffing levels due to covid. Everyone agrees she needs the operation but it’s not been scheduled yet. In the meantime the constant cycle of infection & treatment only makes her weaker.

I’m glad your mother has a date for her operation, hang in there & I hope all goes well.
I hope everything goes well with your grandmother too. Its a good idea to ask for report results on paper of her treatments and tests so it confirms how serious her gallbladder issues are and what they are doing to treat her. My mother became strong enough for surgery 2 weeks after she was released from the hospital and could of had surgery in mid-november. In fact a doctor that the hospital appointed wanted to do surgery for her by november proving that she needed surgery right away, but she choosed a different doctor who is one of the best in the city to do the surgery but surprisingly arrived at a much later date in feb 2021.

It seems my mother's gallstones got worse due to the ERCP she received in sept, as if that is when a stone got permanently lodged in the neck of the gallbladder. They never drained the infection from her gallbladder while in the hospital, instead they had/ have her on anti-biotics. She was off anti-biotics for 30 days and it seems the infection started again, that is why shes on anti-biotics again and feeling better but fears another gallbladder attack will happen before feb 2021 since her ERCP seemed to have made her attacks worse and occur more frequent or sooner than before due to the infection. Before it was once every 2 or 3 years, now it seems like once every 2 or 3 months.

The doctor she choosed to do the surgery arrived at a late surgery date of feb 2021 not due to covid19, he felt it wasn't very urgent but had my 78 year old mother been 30 years old, based on the seriousness of her gallstones/gallbladder attacks and the gallstone permanently lodged in the neck, would he have declared a higher priority level with a much sooner date if my mother was 30 years old? This is why I think that certain doctor may be discriminating against her due to her older age when its older people who are in the most urgent need of urgent care or surgery due to their age and condition. It is hospital policy that all doctors must arrive at a proper priority level 1 to 4 for every patient and the highest level 1 is considered an emergency, whereas 4 is considered the least urgent.
 
Last edited:

lindisfel

Expert
Messages
5,659
The gall bladder is teed off the common bile duct from the liver.
If a stone gets stuck in the common duct it is a real problem because the liver can't drain. Cancers sometimes block the common duct and jaundice ensues.

Gall bladder colic is one of the worst pains humans can suffer.
I know, I saw my wife in it on a number of occasions.
D.