Cholecystectomy or surgery to remove the gallbladder is performed after finding that you have gallstones in your gallbladder. But how is life after gallbladder removal? Many people are of the opinion that removing an internal organ completely can lead to future problems as they think life is difficult after the removal. How life is after the gallbladder is removed? Let us explore further.
Consequences of Gallbladder Removal
- When the gallbladder has been removed, it needs to be understood that there is no storage organ for the bile.
- Normally, bile is constantly secreted in the liver. As they are secreted, bile is converted to a concentrated form and stored in the gallbladder.
- After Cholecystectomy surgery, there is no gallbladder and hence the bile secreted by the liver enters the small intestine in small quantities constantly and directly
Your Life After Removing Gallbladder
- Your surgeon will prescribe diet which is typically high in fibre and low in the fatty acid. Follow the diet regimen strictly for a few weeks before switching to a normal diet.
- It is reported that 90% of people who have undergone removal of gallbladder switch over to normal diet in a few months and they do not show any signs of problems.
- However, it is better to gradually go to the regular eating habit instead of jumping into it one fine day.
- It is also better to avoid heavy fatty food. Instead, you can have small portions of a meal through the day. Your small portions can be moderately rich in dietary fat and the bile secreted constantly into your small intestine should be sufficient to take care of its digestion.
- Try and avoid deep fried food and other junk foods that are high in bad fat and simple carbohydrate. They can increase the strain on your digestive system.
- Watch for any ill-effects as you gradually move to your normal eating habit.
- If you are developing any uneasiness over any food, watch closely if the same food is troubling you time and again. For different people, different food can cause different problems. So people who have their gallbladder removed should watch-out for such food and should avoid them.
General Misconceptions on Removal of Gallbladder
- Cholecystectomy surgery is done mostly for people above the age of 40. At this age, the efficiency of digestion anyways comes down. So if they had their gallbladder removed, they cannot blame the gallbladder for any issues on digestion.
Conclusion – Dr. Maran, a leading gastro surgeon who routinely performs gallbladder removal has seen in his experience that life is pretty normal for people who have had their gallbladder removed.