What happens after gallbladder removal

You can expect to live a perfectly normal life after gallbladder surgery but may experience temporary side effects related to the way your digestive system processes fatty foods. These symptoms may include loose stools or diarrhea, bloating, cramping, and excess gas in response to meals or certain foods.

After gallbladder surgery, you may experience fluctuations in your body weight. However, once the body acclimates to the loss of the gallbladder, weight gain can typically occur.

Traditional surgery tends to come with a more difficult and painful recovery. For most people, weight loss after gallbladder surgery is a temporary issue. Once the body has adjusted — usually within a few weeks — weight loss will typically slow down or stop.

You can lead a perfectly normal life without a gallbladder. Your liver will still make enough bile to digest your food, but instead of being stored in the gallbladder, it drips continuously into your digestive system.

Expected Pain

Even though every surgical procedure comes with some degree of pain, the discomfort with gallbladder removal (especially when done laparoscopically) is typically minimal. The doctor may prescribe a pain medication or recommend that you take an over the counter option such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction

If you are experiencing ongoing upper abdominal pain following gallbladder removal, you may want to speak with your healthcare provider about a possible problem with your sphincter of Oddi (SO). SOD is most often seen in postcholecystectomy patients or in those who have pancreatitis.

Post-surgery, your body acclimates to changes brought about by gallbladder removal, it impacts how the digestive system process food. In few cases, this prompts weight gain. The body will be unable to digest fat and sugar productively.

It’s normal to have difficulty getting rest in the initial 1 to 2 weeks after having gallbladder surgery. But if you’re having trouble sleeping beyond that, there may be something else at causing that. Sleep is essential to healthy healing.

You can probably go back to normal activity about a week after laparoscopic gallbladder removal. If you do a physical job with heavy lifting, ask your doctor when you can go back to work. You can drive 24 hours after you had anesthesia if you are not taking narcotic pain medicines.