Cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Removal)

The recovery time from a laparoscopic cholecystectomy is about two weeks. Recovery from an open cholecystectomy takes six to eight weeks. If you still have a drain in your wound, your healthcare team will remove it at your next appointment. Most people can return to work after one to two weeks. But if you do a lot of physical activity, you might need to modify your routine until you’re fully recovered.

You may need to adjust your diet after gallbladder removal. Surgery and anesthesia can affect your digestive system, and your body will need time to adapt to the change in how it gets bile. Start with simple, bland foods — similar to what you’d eat if you had the flu. You may have trouble digesting high-fiber or high-fat foods at first. Your provider will guide you as you return to a normal, healthy eating pattern.

Most people have only short-term side effects during their recovery from cholecystectomy surgery. These might include:

• Diarrhea: This can happen as your digestive system adjusts to its new structure.
• Constipation: This can occur as a side effect of pain medications.
• Gas and gas pain: This is a side effect of the gas they use in laparoscopic surgery.
• Nausea: This can be an effect of your pain medications.

Your healthcare provider can offer advice on how to manage these short-term conditions.

Long-term effects of gallbladder removal

A small percentage of people experience longer-lasting symptoms after a cholecystectomy. Healthcare providers refer to this as post-cholecystectomy syndrome. But these symptoms, and their possible causes, are wide-ranging and don’t really describe one single condition. Post-cholecystectomy syndrome is usually a temporary diagnosis. It stands in until a provider can make a more specific one.

Symptoms can include:

• Nausea
• Indigestion
• Acid reflux
• Gas and bloating
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Jaundice

Most people have one or a few of these symptoms, but not all.

Possible contributing causes include:

• Preexisting digestive diseases that were previously undiagnosed
• Gallstones remaining in your bile ducts, or new ones forming there
• Functional disorders of the biliary tract (biliary dyskinesia)
• Unexplained pain syndromes (visceral hypersensitivity)
• Complications from surgery, like bile leakage or pancreatitis

Healthcare providers treat these symptoms and conditions on a case-by-case basis.

Your healthcare provider will schedule a follow-up appointment with you a few weeks after your surgery. But be sure to contact them sooner if you develop symptoms of illness, like:

• A fever (over 101 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius).
• Excessive or increasing pain.
• Swelling, skin discoloration or discharge from your incision.
• Persistent nausea and vomiting.
• Jaundice (a yellow tint to your skin and eyes).
• Dark-colored pee (urine) or light-colored poop (stool).