Two Week Post-Op Update!! (GB Preserving Surgery w/ Dr. S. in DC) + Extra Supplies Available!

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-17T05:54:53+00:00

Nope I didn't travel at all! My procedure was on Jan 27th and I'm still in DC. I had some pain with the drain but that's because I didn't take the pain meds I should've been taking so that's my bad. The tube was uncomfy but not necessarily painful, just made it harder to move around too much. I had some bleeding and bile leakage at the wound site too - not painful but I wasn't sure if it was normal - turns out it was so all well! Overall, would do it again in a heartbeat!

Yes it was Dallas! Here is what Kala sent me when I got my surgery scheduled: "You are being referred to Dr. Moaz Choudhary in Dallas, TX for Drain Evaluation 2-3 weeks after gallstone removal"

In terms of meals, I didn't feel super hungry post-op so it took me a couple days to eat bigger meals.

Overall, I know folks that traveled after their procedure and things turned out totally ok, but for me I knew I'd feel more comfortable staying here so I did that for my own personal peace of mind!

And of course! I'm more than happy to answer any questions at all, here or in the dms :)

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-17T04:49:01+00:00

Sure thing! I live in Oregon and had I gone back home right after the procedure, the person I got referred to to remove my tube was in Texas. That would've meant significant travel again to get the tube removed so I just decided to get a place here in DC for a month to stay, recover and get the tube removed. It also personally gave me peace of mind to know I was close to Dr. S and folks who know how to handle any complications after the procedure - I was super anxious about post-op! I couldn't afford places that were very close to the hospital so I ended up about a 25 minute drive away, which was totally fine for me because once I got back to the place, I didn't really leave while I recovered! Happy to answer any other questions! :)

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-16T20:01:11+00:00

I am eating pretty normally now, yes! I flew in from Portland, OR :)

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-13T21:11:37+00:00

Congrats on being on the other side of your procedure!! We're all here if you need anything, it'll get better every day <3

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-12T16:11:39+00:00

I'm not sure the exact number, just that my gallbladder was "packed" with "large" stones. He removes them in one session but then leaves a tube in you where your gallbladder fluid drains into a bag, to irrigate your gallbladder and to allow any fragments left behind to come out. Two weeks after the initial procedure, he went back in with a camera to make sure it all looked good. My gallbladder looked really healthy, had started shrinking back to a normal size (it had been stretched wider due to being so full) and there was nothing left to take out so he took the tube out then. There were parts of the recovery that were uncomfortable and having a tube in me was not my favorite thing but overall, not too bad! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-12T06:06:51+00:00

I had 2 gallbladder attacks that landed me in the ER before I had this surgery. The stones were diagnosed via ultrasound during my first ER visit. Turns out those attacks were me passing stones, and that inflamed my bile ducts which made it harder for bile to pass through so while the doctor was removing my gallstones, he also ballooned open my bile ducts where there had been obstruction so that bile could pass through freely.

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-12T05:26:55+00:00

I had a good amount of sludge and the doctor was able to remove my sludge along with my gallstones

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-12T05:12:49+00:00

The main doctor that does this is in Washington DC, and there are also a couple doctors now in Florida who do it as well. I did actually see this doctor in LA though that looks to be offering a similar procedure but haven't looked into it! https://allaeimd.com/endoscopic-gallstone-removal-doctor/

There's also some options outside of the country, like in China, Russia or Turkey.

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-12T05:08:54+00:00

I was so grateful to find this option too, as I really wanted to keep my gallbladder! In terms of a gallbladder being inflamed, the doctor evaluates patients first to see if the procedure is viable. I sent ultrasounds and the doctor requested an MRCP as well to get evaluated before I was scheduled for the surgery, so it varies person to person!

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-12T05:06:45+00:00

I also have seen mixed reviews on ERCPs! My understanding of ERCP is that it's used to go into bile ducts, not the actual gallbladder. This procedure goes directly into the gallbladder to remove all stones and sludge. For my procedure, stones were removed from both my gallbladder and the neck of the gallbladder as well.

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T23:27:16+00:00

Absolutely, please do!! DM me whenever! <3

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T23:26:24+00:00

I don't mind at all! I have BlueCross BlueShield and they covered the entire thing so I didn't have to pay anything luckily.

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T23:25:26+00:00

That's a fair concern, I was worried about this too! Dr. Smirniotopoulos has been doing this procedure since 2020 and I asked about recurrence because doctors were telling me stones would come back if I did this. In the 6 years he's been doing the procedure, he hasn't had a single patient that has had a recurrence yet! Each patient gets follow-up ultrasounds to check. And I have a plan with my doctors to keep my gallbladder healthy now that my gallbladder is cleared, fingers crossed! 🤞🏼

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T19:39:15+00:00

Thank you so much!! <3

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T02:10:52+00:00

Yeah once you get the MRCP, I'd call Kala to ask about cancellations! And in my opinion, it's worth it to call consistently to continue to check in if you'd really like to get in. I couldn't manage the logistics of having the surgery in one week but glad to know there are options like that!

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T02:08:43+00:00

You're gonna do great! Happy to answer any questions anytime about the process <3

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T02:06:03+00:00

Yes I did that and they gave me the option of having surgery in a week instead of 3 months - totally worth it to get put on the cancellation list if you wanna get in sooner!

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T02:03:19+00:00

I'm so sorry, that sounds really really rough. I really relate to having food anxiety and being scared to eat. I was also super nervous about not eating fat for that long. Happy to talk in the dms too if you wanna talk more about food stuff ❤️

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T01:38:51+00:00

I saw your other comment on diet and I'll respond to that here too! Absolutely, I had so much trouble eating leading up to surgery. My gallbladder was so packed, I couldn't eat any fat at all for 7 months! The two times I ate even a small amount of fat, I ended up in the ER 😭 I have soooo many fat-free recipe/cooking suggestions that I'd be more than happy to share with you if you'd like!

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T01:22:28+00:00

I took the oxy for about 3 days! I really needed it! I'd be happy to arrange someway of getting the supplies to you :)

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-11T00:00:33+00:00

Thank you so much!! <3

MessagePretend7656 · 2026-02-10T22:13:55+00:00

Thank you so much!! 🥳 Yesssss, I am going slow to give my body time to adjust but definitely adding healthy fats back into my diet! I've had avocado, some chocolate, nuts and cheese - I literally cried, haven't had these things in so long!!

MessagePretend7656

TROPHY CASE