Can my mother undergo gall bladder removal surgery?

Q: My 66 years old mother has blood sugar levels (after food) of 227 mg/dl. She is supposed to undergo surgery to remove her gall bladder due to gallstones. Is it safe to undergo surgery for the removal of gallbladder?

A:You can go ahead with the surgery. The treating team will control the blood sugars before starting surgery. In all cases, they control the sugar with insulin; once the sugars are controlled, the surgeons will operate (typically on the next day). After surgery they will keep her on insulin for some time, then shift her back to her original medications.