Gallbladder Surgery - After what to eat??

Katmary71

I had mine out less than a year ago, and was in a lot of discomfort prior to removal. I'd also had laparoscopies before for endometriosis and can say the procedure's the same, just in a different place. I had been told I had a bunch of stones, but it was one large fat stone (pretty weird). I had planned to stay with my parents for a few days since it was out-patient and didn't know what to expect, but I could've gone home.

With food, I started out with say an egg or toast, something plain to eat when hungry. I'd started having digestive problems right before surgery and for the most part, I still have a little heartburn (Never had prior to having the "stone"), but that's it.

Same as with someone having a lap for another reason, I recommend taking a pillow to hold in your tummy on the car ride home. If you post your date, we can pray for you if you'd like! Best of luck.
Kat

hdlb

I had mine removed last November, I was off work for two weeks. The first couple of days I pretty much slept (anasthetics really knock me for six lol!) and it took another few days to be able to sit up without it being a bit painful - the incisions from the outside are so tiny (I have 4 all about 1cm long) that it's easy to forget that they go all the way through and that they have rummaged round inside you! I found I felt quite bloated for the first couple of days - they pump air into your abdomen during surgery to give them some room to manouver - and I didn't have much of an appetite. I stuck to plain simple things, rice cakes with a little smear of honey, toast, pears, yoghurt.....my first 'meal' was fishfingers, peas and mashed potato as thats what I really wanted lol! I found that little and often worked well, and I watch my fat levels (the less fat the less bile is needed to break it down). I also don't eat a lot of dairy, I use soya products, as dairy was one of my 'triggers' for attacks and I have never switched back. I read lots of info on google before I had my surgery, and read lots of horror stories about 'dumping syndrome' and I was terrified that would happen to me, but (touch wood) so far I have been ok!

I'm one of those very very unlucky people that does have dumping syndrome. My doctor said its pretty rare, no matter what I eat it just goes straight through. But I'm lucky enough to have a quick thinking doc that found a medication that controlls it about 90% of the time. I just have to drink a disgusting drink in the morning and then watch like I eat like all other gall bladder patients now.

And every single person will have a different result. My dad had his gall bladder out last summer and it hasn't affected him at all. He can eat whatever he wants with no issues.

My recovery took about a week, but I found out 3 days post-surgery that I was pregnant, and I had immediate morning sickness (I tested after grape juice made me sick) mixing in with the recovery from the surgery. The worst part was the gas that they pump in, it can really really hurt for a few days until its out of your body. I couldn't lay down in bed, I slept on the couch propped up for a few night before it was bearable to lay down.

tlb905

I had mine out about 6 years ago and didn't have any major issues post surgery. i guess the worst was vomiting that night from the anesthesia. But i had it done on Monday and went to work on Friday with just mild soreness. I didn't do my regular workouts for at least 3 weeks though. The only dietary change I noticed was that after eating breakfast cereal with my usual skim milk, I had the "chump and dump" as others had referred to it as. No other dairy effects me like that, just from cereal milk. Oh, and I did have the gassiness until all of that anesthesia works its way out of the body. Good luck and i hope you heal quickly.

hilliardjoe

My wife had hers taken out a few years ago and she was worried about food restrictions after the surgery.

The surgeon told her that based on the condition of her gall bladder that he doubted it had worked for years and that she could go back to eating what she normally did as she had probably already figured out which foods didn't agree with her and stopped eating them.

She was initially diagnosed with GERD and took pills for years until they did a full GERD workup (measuring device down the esophagus) to determine it was not GERD, but they still didn't have an answer for what was causing her painful flair ups. Just one particular ER visit they did an ultrasound and checked on her gall bladder and found it a mess (full of stones). Two days later it was out.

fresh_start59

Everyone's recovery is different.

My mother had her gallbladder removed (laproscopically) at age 70. She took Tylenol for the pain, which she said was almost non-existent. She bounced back like a champ and was up doing dishes and laundry two days later. She did not have any digestive issues and can eat a fatty meal without the "bathroom issues".

My surgery was very different. In fact, it was a nightmare. I don't blame the surgery. I blame my surgeon -- and possibly his interns. My surgery was done at the local county (teaching) hospital that provides "indigent" healthcare (ie: emergency healthcare for people with no insurance and little to no money.) I'll leave out the nightmarish details because I'm sure they won't apply to you.

I did not get any instructions on how to eat post-surgery. I did not feel like eating, which was highly unusual for me. For the first two weeks, I lived mainly on chocolate milk (1% milk and Nestle Quik) and mandarin oranges. Though on day 4, my dad brought over a super greasy pepperoni pizza. I ate one slice and, thankfully, did not have any problems.

Once I was able to get out of bed on my own (two weeks!) I did a little research and learned that a low-fat diet is recommended because many people have issues with loose stools or diarrhea if they eat something high in fat, especially during the first couple of weeks.

"She was initially diagnosed with GERD and took pills for years until they did a full GERD workup (measuring device down the esophagus) to determine it was not GERD, but they still didn't have an answer for what was causing her painful flair ups. Just one particular ER visit they did an ultrasound and checked on her gall bladder and found it a mess (full of stones). Two days later it was out."

This was almost exactly my experience, except that after my last ER visit, which included an IV drip of dilaudid for the pain, I was told that my gallbladder needed to come out ASAP. Being unemployed, it took a bunch of paperwork and weeks of waiting to see a surgeon before I got the approval to have my gallbladder removed. I am thankful for the indigent care insurance, but after having decent medical insurance, this new experience with "indigent" care seemed like third-world medicine.

awal2069

WOW - Thanks again everyone for the replies. It seems there is easy recovery all the way to nightmarish hell recovery.
Thanks for the heads up on diet change, and the fats. I have been "trying" to watch that already so hopefully all will be ok.
So thankful for having insurance right now too

awal2069

I had mine out less than a year ago, and was in a lot of discomfort prior to removal. I'd also had laparoscopies before for endometriosis and can say the procedure's the same, just in a different place. I had been told I had a bunch of stones, but it was one large fat stone (pretty weird). I had planned to stay with my parents for a few days since it was out-patient and didn't know what to expect, but I could've gone home.

With food, I started out with say an egg or toast, something plain to eat when hungry. I'd started having digestive problems right before surgery and for the most part, I still have a little heartburn (Never had prior to having the "stone"), but that's it.

Same as with someone having a lap for another reason, I recommend taking a pillow to hold in your tummy on the car ride home. If you post your date, we can pray for you if you'd like! Best of luck.
Kat

Thanks Kat - will let you know the date. I will never turn away a prayer!!! Ever.
Completely forgot about the pillow, thanks for the reminder.