gallbladder surgery

I had mine removed laparoscopically years ago. Everyone seems to be different in their post-surgery needs, but I took 3 weeks off from work and didn't need them. I was bored puttering around my sister's house after the first week, but then I work a desk job and probably could have managed more easily than someone with a more active career. Mine was serious enough that they chose to leave a drain in me to be removed a little while later, but it was no big deal. More an embarrassment to hide than a serious concern.

Some things that took me off guard: I sleep on my side or stomach and couldn't do either for a short while after the surgery. It turns out you need your ab muscles to balance on your side and it will hurt to try. Stock up on pillows to prop yourself up. Likewise I couldn't sit up out of bed for the first day or two and needed a hand. I was also constipated for a couple of weeks which is normal. They'll probably send you home with a stool softener and you should take them. But again, everyone is different.

For the first year, any meal with high fats would send me rushing to the bathroom an hour later. That has eased off for me, but some people struggle with it for life. You'll just have to wait and see.

I had surgery for mine ten years ago or so. That first fart after the surgery? Magnificent. The air they pump inside you and the sensation of it moving around your abdominal cavity…not so good.

Like you I was relatively healthy when mine was diagnosed. The only trigger I found was alcohol. I had mine out laparoscopically and certainly needed at least a week to recover – it took me about three days just to stop feeling woozy from the general anaesthetic. I also had a reaction to the dissolvable stiches they used and needed a further mini-surgery under local to deal with that.

Post-removal – I struggled to start with as I found I needed to ensure my stomach was never empty for long, otherwise the bile which now dripped automatically into my stomach made me feel nauseous. That sensation lasted for a few months, and doesn’t seem to be a problem any more, and no foods seem to be off-limits.

I had my gallbladder removed Jan of 2017 I also did the keyhole surgery and was home like 5 hours after arriving at the hospital. I ate alot of toast, jello, & broth those first few days until I became brave enough to eat some real food. I do remember how hard it was to get up from a seat or bed my husband helped me alot for about a week. I had 5 days off including my surgery day but I probably should of taken 1 more day. I don't know if this applies to you about I still suffer from Gerd & IBS so I was hoping the gallbladder removal would help that out but it seems like no luck for me on that. Good Luck!

Had mine done laparoscopically with no stitches just surgical glue at an outpatient surgical center. Only took four hours from check in at front desk to walking back out the door. Was so easy and felt fine afterwards. Even stopped to buy groceries on the way home.
Was doing housework including vacuuming the next day. Definitely be cautious lifting heavy stuff though- you’ll feel it! Holding a pillow on my stomach helped when it was sore. Did have trouble getting regular and needed laxatives for a while.
Just know that once your gallbladder is out you will be constantly secreting small amounts of bile into your system rather than your gall bladder saving it up for big fatty meals.
For many months I had complete intolerance of fatty foods. Be sure you are slow to reintroduce fat to your diet. Eating small meals or snacks frequently instead of large meals can help too. Drink plenty of water every day to thin the bile and flush it out. It can irritate your intestines.
Tell your doctor if you’re still having “gallbladder” attacks after the surgery. I had those and it turned out it was pancreatitis. So now have to avoid alcohol and be careful what I eat. Also developed several food allergies due to incomplete digestion of foods, but that is pretty rare. Even with those problems, I’m glad I had it done. I didn’t realize how run down and sick my gallbladder was making me until it was gone!
Hope your surgery goes well.

For me, the laparoscopic surgery itself was a non-event. No pain, no problems.

Doctor told me no workouts but walking for.(IIRC) a month, no lifting more than 5 pounds. I stopped rowing (in the middle of rowing season: Wah!) and started walking around 2 miles twice a day. In the last week or two of restrictions, doc said I could lift 5 pounds repeatedly (I'd been pestering her ), so I started doing 5-lb dumbbell reps to boredom of some exercises that didn't involve substantial abdominal movement.

I was told to stick to a reduced fat diet for a while, then start adding back more fat slowly to see how it went. How I was eating at the time meet their "low fat" definition, so I didn't change anything. In the 2+ years since, I haven't had any digestive problems from the surgery, and I have eaten occasional major fat meals (e.g., big order of beer-battered deep-fried onion rings, 8x10" very cheesy deep dish pizza).

The one thing I wish I'd done differently: I should've gone to maintenance calorie level, or at least close, for a few weeks. I was still losing a pound a week or more at that point, and kept doing it. I don't think my healing was compromised, because my body did a good job prioritizing it, but I did eventually experience some avoidable fatigue and weakness that too a few weeks to fully recover from.

So, I'd suggest eating at/near maintenance for 3-4 weeks. It's worth it.

Best wishes for smooth and easy surgery and aftermath!

Hi do you put on weight after gall bladder surgery?

ruhids wrote: »

Hi do you put on weight after gall bladder surgery?

I did not. I had mine out mid weight loss (though unlike some people's, the need for my surgery was not caused by weight loss).

I saw no difference in weight loss rate before surgery vs. after (and I'm a data geek, so my CICO & scale weight tracking was quite meticulous).

I'm not medically educated, so take this in that light: It seems like a reduced ability to digest fat would help weight loss by reducing ability to absorb the fat calories, not make one gain weight. In my understanding, the reason some people get diarrhea post-surgery after high-fat meals is that the fat isn't properly digested.

I lost a 40 pounds in 2012/2013, then my gallbladded faliled. I put off the surgery for almost a year and gained back all my weight.
I finally had it removed in 2014. The surgery went well and so did the recovery. I look maybe two of the pain pills they sent me home with. The most painful part was the gas pains that you feel in your chest and back. I was very bruised up after.

I struggled with high fat food after for a long time and with losing weight. Honestly switching to a high fat diet helped me in both those areas.

I did learn that you can still have gall stone attacks. I had one in early 2017. I guess if your body makes stones they can get stuck in the bile duct itself and have all the same symptoms and pain. Luckily it was a 1 night thing and not ongoing like it was before the surgery.

The worst part about my surgery was a sore throat from the breathing tube! Everything else was super easy; life post-gallbladder worries is the best. Everyone is different but I didn't have any food-related problems after (and I put hot sauce on everything).