Should Gallstone Surgery Be Postponed After Recovering From Shingles?

Posted on Wed, 11 Oct 2017

Question: I am recovering from the shingles. I was diagnosed July 3r . The rash cleared up after a few weeks but the pain lasted another few weeks. I also had swelling on the left side of my abdomen where the rash had been. I am just starting to feel better . They found I also have a quarter + size gallstone and have scheduled the surgery for October 16th. I am nervous that I feel beat down with my immunity and I'm also prone to have cellulitis.. So here are my questions,
Should I postpone the surgery until I can build up my strength more?
Could the the stress of surgery cause another bout with shingles?
Is the new and improved vaccine out? Can I get it? How long should I wait to get it?
Finally, is there any reason for me to not get the flu vaccination as I suffer from allergies and asthma?

Answered by Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (54 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Recommendations detailed below

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for trusting HCM

Since your rash and pain have already subsided and there is still some time to October 16th, there is no need to postpone the surgery.
Persisting Gallstones will result in inflammation of the gallbladder, a condition called cholecystitis.
Stress of surgery can cause the flare-up of shingles. You can take suppressive antiviral therapy around the time of surgery to prevent a flare-up.
New vaccine 'Shingrix' is more effective than the current one. However, it is expected to be available in the market by 2018 only.
There is no problem getting the Flu vaccine even if you have allergies or asthma. It is important to get the flu vaccine every year.

Hope this answers your questions
Please let me know if you need further clarifications
regards
Dr.Lekshmi

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T