Convalescence and recovery after gallbladder surgery

Gallbladder removal — cholecystectomy — is one of the most routine surgeries out there, to the point that it's often the first procedure a surgical resident will perform on their own. Many people, on the other hand, don't even know where their gallbladder is or what it is for. It's only natural to want to learn more about gallbladder removal. 

Even more, it would be beneficial to understand which problems an unhealthy gallbladder could cause. The question is, should we choose gallbladder removal or alternative treatment? What are the benefits of gallbladder removal surgery, and what are the consequences? There are too many questions with too many different answers. Most of you would like to learn more about convalescence and recovery time after gallbladder surgery, but let’s start with some general facts.

Gallbladder Problems

Gallbladder removal is one of the most common surgical operations. Thousands of people in Canada, for example, undergo surgery to remove their gallbladders because of gallstones. The problem is that approximately 80% of all gallstones show no symptoms and may remain silent for years. Once symptoms do arise, they persist and increase in frequency, and you may be surprised to learn that the most common triggers for gallbladder attacks are caffeine, chocolate, eggs, dairy products, and greasy or deep fried food. Symptoms may include right-upper-quadrant abdominal discomfort, or sharp pain, gas, and fullness after a meal. The pain can also spread to the patient's chest, shoulder, neck or back. In addition to these symptoms, stones expelled from the gallbladder during contraction may become lodged in the bile duct, which could lead to infection of the bile duct or gallbladder. [1]

In conventional medicine, there are different approaches to gallbladder problems, and all carry unwanted risks. The most common treatment has as many as 10% of patients coming out of surgery with stones remaining in bile ducts. The gallbladder is connected to the spleen by nerves, and also closely linked to the liver. Anyone with gallbladder problems or with gallbladder removed should avoid or minimize food that weakens the liver or spleen, such as white flour, white sugar, caffeine, chocolate, and deep fried foods. [2]

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, one should avoid or minimize consumption of cold food, cold drinks, citrus fruits, tomato, banana and even salads because they weaken the spleen and kidneys.