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

[Ann E. Argodale]

I had my gall bladder removed laparoscopically this summer.  I played a gig about ten days afterward (bass trombone) without any problem.  The problem is in moving around, getting out of bed, etc; not in playing trombone.  You will be very sore and will tire easily for a while.

Ann Argodale

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Monique Buzzarté <monique at buzzarte.org> 

> 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 
> 
> -- 
> *************************** 
> Monique Buzzarté 
> monique at buzzarte.org 
> http://www.buzzarte.org 
> _______________________________________________ 
> Trombone-l mailing list 
> Trombone-l at samford.edu 
> http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l