According to the National Institutes of Health, the gallbladder is an organ that stores bile and releases it into the intestine during digestion. The body can live without the gallbladder if it has to be removed.
Cause
If gallstones cause the bile ducts to become blocked, a patient will need to have surgery to remove the gallbladder.
Types of Surgery
There are two types of gallbladder surgery: laparoscopic and open. With laparoscopic surgery, the gallbladder is removed through four small incisions and with open surgery, the gallbladder is removed through a 5 to 8 inch incision.
Risks
Some risks with gallbladder surgery include bile leak, infection and blood clots.
Recovery
After laparoscopic surgery, the patient may need to stay in the hospital overnight and should be able to resume normal activities after a few days. The recovery time for open surgery is longer and the patient will have to stay in the hospital 3 to 5 days and will not be able to resume normal activities for several weeks.
Effects
Some people who have their gallbladder removed experience chronic diarrhea after surgery.
