Gallbladder Surgery
You and Your Gallbladder Going Separate Ways
When gallbladder symptoms of a gallbladder attack are severe, a healthcare professional may treat gallstones by surgically removing the gallbladder. It may be sad to have you and your gallbladder go separate ways, but you will be able to continue on and your body will barely notice the gallbladder gone. The gallbladder after giving you the best years of its life will go on to a better place, its work done.
Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery
The surgery to remove a gallbladder is relatively easy. Under general anesthesia, with laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, the surgeon will make a small incision and inflate the abdomen with air. A lighted scope with a camera will be inserted through a small incision near the belly button. The gallbladder is then removed.
The entire procedure will take less than two hours normally. As with any surgery there are some risks to the procedure, but most healthy people recover quickly and are able to go home the same day. Normal activities can usually be resumed within days.
After Gallbladder Surgery
The good part of having this surgery is that it can be done as an outpatient and you will not to spend the night at the hospital and you will be able to go home to finish recovering under normal conditions. There will be some discomfort in your abdomen and shoulders from the air used to inflate the abdomen. This can last one to two days. Muscle aches may be experienced from the anesthesia. There may be diarrhea, loss of appetite, and nausea after the gallbladder is removed. The incision sites may be tender, inflamed, and have a little drainage. Your healthcare professional will go over anything that you need to be concerned about.
Gallbladder Surgery Risks
There are some risks to gallbladder surgery. Some risks are common with any kind of surgery and some are specific to gallbladder surgery. One risk that occurs in about five percent of those who have gallbladder surgery is pancreas irritation. It is treated in the hospital by resting the bowels and treating the patient with intravenous fluids. Other complications include the following:
- Infection
- Internal bleeding
- Damage to internal organs
- Gallstone relocating in the common bile duct
Digestion After Gallbladder Surgery
The body will still need to digest fats. The liver continues to make bile to perform the tasks of emulsifying fats and grease in the diet. After the gallbladder is removed, the body is unable to store bile, so the bile will go directly to the small intestines. Most people don't notice any changes after their gallbladder is removed, other than no longer being in pain from the gallstones. Some people may have some digestive problems like diarrhea when they consume a lot of fats and grease when eating.
A healthy lifestyle can prevent gallbladder symptoms and attacks. This is recommended before there are gallbladder symptoms because once symptoms begin; often the only treatment option is gallbladder surgery.
Gallbladder Diet
What should your Gallbladder Diet be?.