Pacific Surgical Institute

The overall experience was excellent. The doctor, his wife and office staff were very engaging and professional. Dr. Ginsberg took time to explain the issue (gallstones resulting in removal of the gallbladder by means of laparscopic surgery) despite my obviously superfluous questions. The surgery was scheduled promptly and performed very well in my opinion as a layman. I would suggest calling the insurance company and medical group as applicable to expedite the paperwork — it does make a very big difference in my experience. Recovery so far (5^th day) has been excellent, but keep in mind that I’m a healthy 28 year old male with the vital readings, EKG and blood panel showing above average results so your mileage may vary. I would highly recommend this practice to a friend.
For those with upcoming gallbladder surgery: My surgery was done on Thursday (2014-​07-​04). When writing this on 2014-​07-​09, I feel recovered for the most part. Things to consider when dealing with gallstones:
1. There is a chance a gallstone may travel into the common bile duct, cause a partial blockage, enlarge the duct and result in acute pancrtitis. This happened to me — it’s very painful. Be careful to treat yourself as quickly as possible. Make sure to carefully vet your physical symptoms as well as reading blood panels in DETAIL. My general doctor actually missed the off-​the-​chart readings on my blood panel for three weeks while my pancreas was holding on for dear life. The bile duct was also enlarged from 3 mm to 11 mm. Not a fun time by any means.
2. Pain medication (hydrocodone, 5mg/​325mg in my case) results in constipation specially when taken near maximum dosage. Keep this in mind when evaluating your stomach’s response after surgery. Keep track of the dosage and taper off as soon as possible.
3. I read that most people slept the first night after surgery but I chose to stay up and let the wounds get a full 24 hour before spending much time in the sitting or reclined position. I also avoided bending over as much as possible.
4. Pain in right shoulder or both shoulder results from surgical gas blown into the stomach during the procedure. This is ordinary and should pass within a few days although some seem to experience it for a few weeks.
5. For those who do not deal well with pain, it’s a good idea to have someone around for the first night. I spent the night alone but chose so knowing that I may be limited in some movement (putting on socks, shoes, cloths, etc).
Best of luck on your recovery and thanks again Dr. Ginsberg and Co. for the excellent experience.