Side effects of gallbladder removal

If you are to have gallstones removed, it also means removal of the gallbladder. The purpose of the operation is to reduce the risk of new gallstones, which can cause you abdominal pain. Fortunately, you can live perfectly well without your gallbladder. Read about the side effects that can occur after the operation and how you should manage them.

Side effects of living without a gallbladder

You can live perfectly well without your gallbladder. Having the gallbladder removed does not mean that your liver stops producing bile to digest food. It now simply flows directly into the intestine and not only when you eat. When the gallbladder is removed, the symptoms of gallstones disappear in the vast majority of cases.

On the other hand, there can be rare side effects of living without a gallbladder. Diarrhoea may occur in the first period after removal of the gallbladder, and some may experience that the stool becomes slightly looser in the long term than before the operation. But life without a gallbladder is usually completely without disadvantages, and you can eat normally immediately after the operation.

Why removal of the gallbladder can be necessary 

The gallbladder sits under the liver on the right side of the abdomen and helps you digest fatty food. This happens by it storing liquid bile, which the liver produces. When you eat the food, the gallbladder contracts and empties the bile into the duodenum through small channels – also known as the bile ducts. Here the bile helps to break down the fat in the food.

Unfortunately, inflammation can occur in the gallbladder because a gallstone prevents it from emptying. You can get gallstones due to, among other things, rapid weight loss, which can also cause gallstone attacks.

Gallstone pain is typically severe pain under the right costal margin, which occurs in attacks. Sometimes the pain can also radiate to the back. The pain attacks typically last a few hours. If the pain does not go away, and thus lasts perhaps 24 hours or longer, it may be inflammation of the gallbladder. In rare cases, the gallstone can also become lodged in the bile duct, which develops into jaundice. In both situations you should seek emergency medical help.

At CPH Privathospital our consultants are ready to help you. Here we have extensive experience with gastrointestinal surgery. In this way you can receive both the right diagnosis and treatment. Whether you pay yourself, have health insurance or come from the public health system.

How we gently remove your gallbladder

At CPH Privathospital we know that an operation and treatment can seem frightening. Therefore our experienced consultant in gastrointestinal surgery starts with a brief conversation before the operation begins. Here you can get answers to questions about the procedure itself, complications, the follow-up and similar matters.

As there is no effective medical treatment for gallstones, we use keyhole surgery. The operation is performed by a thin cannula blowing air into the abdominal cavity, so that the abdominal wall lifts. This creates space to operate.

Afterwards we make four small incisions in the abdominal wall, through which small tubes pass. Using a camera, the surgeon can see the gallbladder very clearly. Afterwards it is removed from the underside of the liver. Then the small excretory duct from the gallbladder and the blood supply to the gallbladder are closed with clips. Finally we remove the gallbladder through the largest hole at the navel.

You are naturally under full anaesthesia during the operation. At the same time we also ensure that we give you antibiotics, so there is less risk of infection in the wounds. After your treatment the consultant will tell you how you should manage possible side effects and live your normal everyday life.

Read more about having gallstones removed at CPH Privathospital.

This pain you can experience after the operation

You can go home a few hours after the operation. The typical sick leave from work is 2-10 days after the operation, but it can depend on your occupation. If you have had an open operation, you should expect to be on sick leave for two to three weeks. After keyhole surgery you can have pain in the right shoulder for the first few days. This is completely normal. It is due to the air that has been blown into the abdominal cavity or reflexes from the operation area. It is also completely normal for the abdomen to become slightly distended in the first days after the operation.

As with all other operations, there is a small risk of bleeding and infection. This can for example be redness, warmth, swelling, vomiting and pain at the navel or in the other operation wounds. If there is infection in one of the small wounds on the abdomen, we treat it by opening the wound and rinsing it with water and soap. Afterwards we put a plaster or dressing on. The wound will then heal from the bottom, and you will normally not receive antibiotics.

Major complications and side effects of gallbladder removal are fortunately rare. This can for example be damage to organs in the abdominal cavity, which can require an additional operation. Do you have fever, malaise or abdominal pain, or has jaundice appeared after the operation? Then contact us, your own doctor or the emergency medical service immediately.