Below Deck fan-favorite Chef Rachel Hargrove is undergoing gallbladder surgery Sunday night to remove her stone-filled sac.
“Thinking of white fluffy clouds as I am about to get my gallbladder cut out! See ya you stoned filled [bleep]! ?” Chef Rachel wrote on an Instagram video post of Bob Ross painting clouds.
Starring in her 2nd season of Below Deck in season 9, Chef Rachel recently traveled to the Bahamas for work. Perhaps Hargrove returned to work charters for Below Deck season 10 and suddenly needed surgery?
How Serious is Gallbladder Surgery?
The gallbladder is a muscular sac attached to the liver and secretes bile to help with digestion. Sometimes the gallbladder needs to be surgically removed when it fills with gallbladder stones, like in Chef Rachel’s case.
Gallbladder surgery is fairly safe, but it does come with some risks. After laparoscopic cholecystectomy (least invasive type of surgery) the following complications can happen according to the Mayo Clinic’s article on Gallbladder surgery: “Bile leak; Bleeding; Infection; Injury to nearby structures, such as the bile duct, liver and small intestine; Risks of general anesthesia, such as blood clots and pneumonia.”
Chef Rachel isn’t the first Below Deck season 9 crew member to need surgery recently. A hospitalized Captain Lee had spinal surgery late last year. Not only that, he also missed the start of season 9 due to his AFib heart condition.
Over season 9, Rachel has been wowing Below Deck fans by showing off her culinary prowess. She even put up with jaw-wired-shut charter guest Chelsea and her gourmet food-blending requests. However, with all the shenanigans the crew members do and fans complaining about her pronunciation of macaron, it is no wonder her gallbladder was overworked with bile. It’s pretty galling dealing with all of that. Joking aside, we’re all wishing Chef Rachel a speedy recovery!
Chef Rachel may have to save the day in the upcoming episode 11 of Below Deck season 9, coming out on Bravo Monday. Rayna is hinting Heather’s friend Kaylee is her new roommate as the replacement stew for Jessica quitting. Will Rachel bunk with Rayna to keep the peace on My Seanna? Tune in Monday to find out.
