Gallbladder surgery
is done for individuals suffering from diseased or infected gallbladders. Inflammation of the gallbladder is usually caused by gallstones. In rare cases, gallbladder cancer or a punctured gallbladder is the cause. Symptoms of a gallbladder disease or gallstones may include pain in the upper right abdomen, nausea, fever and, less commonly, jaundice. The gallbladder is a non-essential organ, and gallbladder removal with open or laparoscopic surgery is the common treatment for gallbladder diseases.
Before Surgery
A physician may recommend individuals stop taking aspirin, ibuprofen and other drugs that thin the blood. Testing before surgery may include an EKG, blood tests and an ultrasound or x-rays. Food and water will be restricted the night before surgery and individuals will usually be instructed not take anything by mouth after midnight.
Laparoscopic Surgery
The majority of gallbladder surgeries are laparoscopic. With laparoscopic surgery, a physician makes up to four small incisions in the front and side of the abdomen and inserts a small telescope and thin surgical instruments into the incisions to cut away the gallbladder and suction it out. Since laparoscopic surgery is less invasive than open surgery, the procedure rarely lasts longer than an hour and most patients will be able to leave the hospital the same day or the next morning.
Open Surgery
With open surgery, a surgeon makes up to a 7-inch incision below the rib cage to remove the gallbladder. Open surgery is usually done in emergency situations where the gallbladder is punctured, gangrene has set in, the patient is elderly, during pregnancy or when gallbladder cancer is present. If gallstones are found in the connecting bile ducts, the stones and the bile ducts may be removed as well. Individuals who undergo open surgery will stay in the hospital anywhere from three days to a week after surgery.
Recovery
After gallbladder surgery, the patient is taken to a recovery room and medication will be administered to reduce pain. Laparoscopic surgery involves a much shorter recovery time than open surgery and, depending on their doctor's instructions, individuals recovering from laparoscopic surgery are usually able to resume normal activity within a week. For open surgery, patients are given a liquid or soft diet during their first day or two at the hospital. Open surgery patients should refrain from strenuous physical activity for four to six weeks.
Complications
Risks associated with gallbladder surgery include infection, excess bleeding, reactions to anesthesia, damage to the bile ducts or intestine, or missed gallstones. Some individuals may experience diarrhea after they have their gallbladder removed. In most cases the diarrhea is temporary, but for some people the condition may continue. To help prevent diarrhea after gallbladder surgery, a diet low in fat is often prescribed.
