Gallbladder Diseases—After Surgery

Also called: Postoperative care, Recovery from surgery

After any operation, you’ll have some side effects. There is usually some pain with surgery. There may also be swelling and soreness around the area that the surgeon cut. Your surgeon can tell you which side effects to expect.

There can also be complications. These are unplanned events linked to the operation. Some complications are infection, too much bleeding, reaction to anesthesia, or accidental injury. Some people have a greater risk of complications because of other medical conditions.

Your surgeon can tell you how you might feel and what you will be able to do – or not do – the first few days, weeks, or months after surgery. Some other questions to ask are

How long you will be in the hospital
What kind of supplies, equipment, and help you might need when you go home
When you can go back to work
When it is ok to start exercising again
Are they any other restrictions in your activities

Following your surgeon’s advice can help you recover as soon as possible.

Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research

Bland diet (Medical Encyclopedia)
Deep breathing after surgery (Medical Encyclopedia)
Diet – clear liquid (Medical Encyclopedia)
Diet – full liquid (Medical Encyclopedia)
Getting your home ready – after the hospital (Medical Encyclopedia)
Indwelling catheter care (Medical Encyclopedia)
Post surgical pain treatment – adults (Medical Encyclopedia)
Self catheterization – female (Medical Encyclopedia)
Self catheterization – male (Medical Encyclopedia)
Suprapubic catheter care (Medical Encyclopedia)
Surgical wound care — closed (Medical Encyclopedia)
Surgical wound infection – treatment (Medical Encyclopedia)
Urinary catheters (Medical Encyclopedia)
Urine drainage bags (Medical Encyclopedia)
Using an incentive spirometer (Medical Encyclopedia)

Your gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ under your liver. It stores bile, a fluid made by your liver to digest fat. As your stomach and intestines digest food, your gallbladder releases bile through a tube called the common bile duct. The duct connects your gallbladder and liver to your small intestine.

Your gallbladder is most likely to give you trouble if something blocks the flow of bile through the bile ducts. That is usually a gallstone. Gallstones form when substances in bile harden. Rarely, you can also get cancer in your gallbladder.

Many gallbladder problems get better with removal of the gallbladder. Fortunately, you can live without a gallbladder. Bile has other ways of reaching your small intestine.