What to expect after gallbladder removal: Side effects and dietary tips

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located just under the liver. It’s function is to store and release bile, a greenish-colored fluid that helps your body digest fats.

This tiny but significant organ can be affected by several conditions – one of the most common ones being gallstones. Also, the gallbladder can be affected by acute cholecystitis, gallstone pancreatitis, and rarely, gallbladder cancer. 

When any of these conditions affect the organ, it results in pain that can also be felt on other parts of the body, including the back or chest. At the same time, gallbladder issues can cause fever, itching, tiredness, feeling bloated, and feeling like throwing up.

Most of these conditions are treated by a complete removal of the gallbladder, which isn’t considered an essential organ.

Following the surgery, people continue living a normal life, but as per the Mayo Clinic, there are certain side effects that appear right after surgery, such as diarrhea caused by an irritated bowel due to the bile that without a gallbladder flows directly into the intestines, and bloating.

Complications, that are relatively rare since the procedure is considered safe, are bleeding, injury of the bile duct, bile leakage, deep vein thrombosis, or injuries to the intestine, bowel and blood vessels.

Post surgery, patients are advised to avoid greasy and fatty foods.

The changes in diet lead to weigh loss at a great number of patients.

Doctors advice that during the first days post-surgery patients consume liquids, gelatine, broth. They should move to small portions of solid food gradually.

The post-surgery diet should be rich in low-fat foods such as beans, oatmeal, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and fat-free dairy products. A couple of days after the surgery, patients can introduce foods that are high in fiber, such as prunes, oat bran, chickpeas, beets, and okra. Also, they can consume foods high in soluble fiber such as wheat germ, legumes, carrots, nuts, potatoes, and spinach. 

Foods to avoid post-surgery include high-fat foods such as lard, butter, bacon fat, hot dogs, salami, processed baked goods, and pork. Also, try to avoid high-sweetened foods and caffeine.

Most people return to work and their everyday activities two weeks to a month after the gallbladder removal surgery.

*Disclaimer: This information is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or healthcare provider with any questions about your health or medications. Do not disregard professional advice based on this information.

Please SHARE this article with your family and friends on Facebook.

Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

Monica Pop
Monica Pop
Monica Pop is a senior writer for Bored Daddy magazine covering the latest trending and popular articles across the United States and around the world.

More from author

Related posts

Latest posts

My mother-in-law took our wedding card money—and wouldn’t give it back

Our wedding day was picture perfect, just like I've always imagined it would be. Of course, there was also the usual chaos, nerves, and...

Heartbreaking update on children who vanished with father four years ago and were spotted by hunters

It was 2021 when Tom Phillips and his children Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, nine, vanished from their family home in New Zealand. Allegedly, before they...

Taking morning baths after 70: potential liver risks you should be aware of

Taking a bath daily what most people consider a healthy practice. Of course, there are also those who shower more than once per day,...

More people are dying from heart failure, doctors warn: give up these 4 habits now

The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Heart Federation, and the American Heart Association estimate that heart failure (HF) is a global pandemic affecting...

Bear attack survivor wrote chilling final note to loved ones after picking up pieces of his own flesh

Jeremy Evans ventured into the woods in Alberta, Canada, hunting for a ram, but what he stumbled upon was way bigger and far more...

Coach goes viral online for this one act during kids’ basketball game

Getting inside the classroom every day and trying to cope with all those students who have different personalities and learn using different strategies isn't...