[Trombone-l] gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) recovery?

[Howard Spindel]

I had a laparoscopic procedure to remove my 
gallbladder.  I didn't feel much like doing 
anything for a month afterward, let alone play trombone.

The doctors said some people go to work 3 days 
later and I have no reason to disbelieve them, 
but that wasn't close to my experience.

Howard

At 04:14 PM 12/10/2007, Monique Buzzarté wrote:
>Has anyone on the list had their gallbladder removed?  What's the
>recovery process like in terms of when professional playing is possible
>again?
>
>One surgeon I spoke with said that the recovery time before playing
>would be 10-12 weeks (risk of hernias if playing before the muscles had
>completely healed; in this scenario a laparoscopic procedure
>is worse than a large abdominal incision since the intestine can
>slip out with internal abdominal pressure but not back in as easily
>through the smaller opening.  Another surgeon said that I could
>play the next day "if I felt like it."   (Although that's if it was
>laparoscopic of course - the open procedure is major abdominal
>surgery with a 4-7 inch incision (it's not possible to know beforehand
>which might be done.)
>
>I've checked the archives, there aren't very many
>references there to cholecystectomy or other
>abdominal surgery in terms of what's realistic
>for a trombonist to expect afterwards.
>
>In my case, the docs aren't even sure it *is* the gallbladder that's
>the culprit.  It could be an intermittent internal hernia (sometimes
>there is a lump on my left side).  Or far less likely, some kind of
>a periodic intussusception.   Or, possibly, a VERY atypical presentation
>of gallbladder disease, cholecystitis/cholelithiasis.
>
>
>Thanks,
>Monique
>
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