For Vanessa, the decision to have gallbladder surgery didn’t come easily. Having already experienced complications from a past surgery, she was understandably anxious. But she was experiencing sharp pain and nausea and needed to do something about it. Unfortunately, her first meeting with a surgeon was a less-than-comforting interaction.
"I had already been scheduled for surgery with a different doctor, but it felt cold and rushed,” Vanessa recalls. “Then my insurance changed, and I had to find a new surgeon. My primary care provider recommended Dr. Melanie Howell, and from our very first meeting, it was a completely different experience. She spent 45 minutes with me and my fiancé explaining every detail of the surgery and what to expect. She even pulled out diagrams to help me understand what was happening inside my body."
Dr. Howell informed Vanessa that she had gallstones, which are hardened deposits that form in the gallbladder. Thankfully, they did not need to be removed urgently, and Vanessa could decide on whether to have surgery. Together, they decided to monitor Vanessa’s condition. Dr. Howell also mentioned that if the pain got worse that Vanessa should head to the ER.
Although Vanessa initially tried to manage her gallbladder issues through diet and lifestyle changes, the symptoms eventually returned. One afternoon, while working at the café she owns with her fiancé, she began to feel severely nauseated — just as Dr. Howell had predicted might happen.
Vanessa's fiancé called Dr. Howell's office to let her know that Vanessa was in pain and may be experiencing a gallbladder attack, which is when gallstones block the bile ducts. Vanessa headed straight to Holy Name's emergency room. While she was getting an ultrasound, she was shocked to see Dr. Howell walk in. "I couldn't believe it," she recalls. "I was in so much pain, but hearing her voice, knowing she came to be with me — I almost cried. I didn't think doctors did that."
Dr. Howell confirmed that Vanessa was indeed having a gallbladder attack. Vanessa had multiple gallstones, including four that had migrated to the pancreas. Vanessa would need two procedures: one to remove the stones from the pancreatic duct, and then another to remove her gallbladder. Vanessa was nervous, but she knew she was in good hands at Holy Name.
“Dr. Howell explained everything clearly,” she says. “Even though she wasn’t performing the first procedure, she came to see me beforehand to reassure me. That meant everything to me.”
The next day, Dr. Howell returned to perform Vanessa’s second surgery using a robotic approach. Vanessa was impressed with her surgeon’s attention to detail. "She took extra precautions with the incision placement so if I experienced pain post-op, she’d know it wasn’t related to the gallbladder. She was thinking ahead in every possible way."
Recovery hasn’t been without its challenges, but Vanessa said she's never felt alone in the process. “Any time I had a concern, I called Dr. Howell’s office and heard back within the day. When I needed extra time to heal before returning to my physically demanding job, Dr. Howell worked with me to extend my disability leave."
What stands out most for Vanessa is Dr. Howell's compassion. "She made me feel like I was the only patient that mattered," she says. "Even my primary care provider was impressed by how detailed Dr. Howell's follow-up report was."
“I never expected to feel this kind of connection with a surgeon," Vanessa says. “But I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Dr. Howell was meant to be my doctor.”
