Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery
Gas and the Gallbladder
One of the symptoms of gallstones and other gallbladder problems is gas, bloating, burping, and belching. When it comes to the gallbladder, there can be more gas involved once the decision is made to have gallbladder surgery. Before surgery, the talk will turn to a different kind of gas.
The doctor will explain how with laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, the abdomen is filled with air (gas) or carbon dioxide through a small incision for the surgery.
The surgery is normally done as an outpatient and is fairly easy to recover from. Most people will resume normal activities within a few days when there are no complications.
With an open cholecystectomy there is a large incision made to remove the gallbladder. The incision is cut under the right rib cage to access the gallbladder and it will take one to two hours to perform the cholecystectomy. Hospital stays after this type of surgery lasts two to five days. Recovery lasts weeks. With laparoscopic cholycystectomy, open cholycystectomy is not usually performed.
There are many advantages to laparoscopic cholycystectomy which are listed below:
- There are four tiny incisions
- The surgery lasts one to two hours
- Is an outpatient surgery
- Recover takes a few days
- Minimal pain and discomfort
Gallbladder Surgery
When surgery is indicated, your doctor will schedule the day you will have surgery. The week before you may need to have a pre-operative check-up that could include blood being drawn. The night before surgery you will not be able to eat or drink. When you arrive at the hospital you will be prepped for surgery. Your vital signs will be taken and you will have monitors attached to you. General anesthesia will be used so that you will be unconscious during the surgery.
During the surgery there will be small incisions that will be used for the small camera, to fill the abdomen with air, and for the instruments that will be used to remove the gallbladder. There will be a drainage tube that will drain bile into a bag outside of the body.
After Gallbladder Surgery
There may be discomfort in the abdomen and in the shoulders for a few days while the gas in the body from the surgery dissipates. The incisions may be sore and tender. There can be muscle aches after surgery. The pain after laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is easy to manage. Recovery takes a few days for a healthy person when there are no complications. Usually the surgery is complication free, but there may be complications, which can include damage to internal organs during surgery, infection, and pancreas inflammation. There may be a temporary loss of appetite, nausea, and diarrhea. The doctor will give instructions on diet, recovery, and aftercare of the incisions.
The liver will continue to make bile, but instead of it being stored in the gallbladder, it will go directly into the intestines. To avoid digestive problems it will be recommended that you eat a diet low in fat. Most people who have had laparoscopic gallbladder surgery don't really notice anything different after their gallbladder is removed, once they have recovered from the surgery.