Gallbladder removal surgery

This surgery removes the gallbladder and gallstones, if you have any. The gallbladder stores bile made by your liver. The bile helps you digest fats. Gallstones are made of cholesterol and other things found in bile.

The surgery is also known as cholecystectomy (ko-luh-sis-TEK-tuh-mee).

Your body will work fine without a gallbladder. Bile will go straight from the liver to the intestine. There may be small changes in how you digest food. But you probably won't notice them.

This is usually a laparoscopic surgery. To do this type of surgery, a doctor puts a lighted tube, or scope, and other surgical tools through small cuts (incisions) in your belly. The belly is filled with air. The air is injected with a needle. The air pushes the belly wall away from the organs so that the surgeon can see them clearly. The cuts leave scars that usually fade with time.

Open surgery may be done if problems are found during laparoscopic surgery. With open surgery, the gallbladder is removed through one larger cut in your belly. And the hospital stay is longer.

Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.

Preparing for surgery

• Be sure you have someone to take you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine will make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own.
• Understand exactly what surgery is planned, along with the risks, benefits, and other options.
• If you take a medicine that prevents blood clots, your doctor may tell you to stop taking it before your surgery. Or your doctor may tell you to keep taking it. (These medicines include aspirin and other blood thinners.) Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do.
• Tell your doctor ALL the medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your surgery. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the surgery and how soon to do it.
• Make sure your doctor and the hospital have a copy of your advance directive. If you don’t have one, you may want to prepare one. It lets others know your health care wishes. It’s a good thing to have before any type of surgery or procedure.

Activity

• Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover.
• Try to walk each day. Start out by walking a little more than you did the day before. Walking helps prevent blood clots in your legs and pneumonia.
• For about 2 to 4 weeks, avoid lifting anything that would make you strain. This may include a child, heavy grocery bags and milk containers, a heavy briefcase or backpack, cat litter or dog food bags, or a vacuum cleaner.
• Avoid strenuous activities, such as biking, jogging, weightlifting, and aerobic exercise, until your doctor says it is okay.
• Ask your doctor when you can drive again.
• For a laparoscopic surgery, most people can go back to work or their normal routine in 1 to 2 weeks, but it may take longer. For an open surgery, it will probably take 4 to 6 weeks before you get back to your normal routine.
• Your doctor will tell you when you can have sex again.

Diet

• When you feel like eating, start with small amounts of food. You may want to avoid fatty foods like fried foods or cheese for a while. They can cause symptoms, such as diarrhea or bloating.
• Drink plenty of fluids (unless your doctor tells you not to).
• You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. This is common. Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to take a fiber supplement every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative.

Medicines

• Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. You will also be given instructions about taking any new medicines.
• If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
• Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
  • Do not take two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines contain acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much Tylenol can be harmful.
• If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach:
  • Take your medicine after meals (unless your doctor tells you not to).
  • Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.

Incision care

• If you have strips of tape on the cut (incision) the doctor made, leave the tape on for a week or until it falls off.
• You may shower 24 to 48 hours after surgery, if your doctor okays it. Pat the incision dry. Do not take a bath for the first 2 weeks, or until your doctor tells you it's okay.
• You may have staples to hold the cut together. Keep them dry until your doctor takes them out. This is usually in 7 to 10 days.
• Keep the area clean and dry. You may cover it with a gauze bandage if it oozes fluid or rubs against clothing. Change the bandage every day.

Ice

• To reduce swelling and pain, put ice or a cold pack on your belly for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Do this every 1 to 2 hours. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.