Gallbladder Surgery Specialist

What is gallbladder surgery?

Gallbladder surgery, also called a cholecystectomy, is a surgical procedure your doctor uses to remove your gallbladder. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ found just below your liver on the right side of your abdomen.

It stores bile, produced in your liver, that aids in digestion. You might be a candidate for gallbladder surgery if you experience symptoms of gallstones or complications associated with them.

What are the symptoms of gallstones?

If you have gallstones, you may experience no signs or symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you could notice:

• Upper back pain
• Right shoulder pain
• Severe upper right abdominal pain
• Severe center abdominal pain
• Nausea or vomiting

Pain associated with gallstones can last just a few minutes or several hours. Complications of gallstones include gallbladder inflammation, bile duct blockages, pancreatic duct blockages, and gallbladder cancer. Surgery can offer you relief.

Is gallbladder surgery right for me?

To find out if you’re a candidate for gallstone surgery, your Lakeland Surgical Clinic, PLLC, specialist reviews your symptoms and medical history. They complete a physical exam and might recommend you have blood tests, an abdominal ultrasound, an endoscopic ultrasound, CT scans, or other imaging procedures to diagnose your condition.

How should I prepare for gallbladder surgery?

Follow your surgeon’s instructions before undergoing gallbladder surgery. They might ask you to stop taking certain medications and avoid foods and drinks the morning of your surgery. Make arrangements for someone to drive you home afterward.

What happens during gallbladder surgery?

Right before gallbladder surgery, your provider gives you an anesthetic that makes you fall asleep. They cut tiny incisions in your abdomen and use special surgical tools or robotic technology to take out your gallbladder.

Your surgeon might recommend you undergo imaging tests to detect or rule out gallstones in the bile ducts or other complications requiring attention. They close your incisions with stitches and take you to a recovery area. The procedures usually last 1-2 hours.

What should I expect after gallbladder surgery?

You might be able to go home the same day as a cholecystectomy, but have a friend or family member drive you there. Recovering from minimally invasive gallbladder surgery takes about a week. Recovery from an open surgery that requires large incisions often requires 4-6 weeks.

Follow all post-surgery instructions. Take medications as prescribed by your surgeon, get plenty of rest, and avoid strenuous activity until your doctor says it’s OK. You might experience occasional loose stools, but this side effect often gets better over time.

Don’t live with painful gallstones or the complications associated with them. Schedule a consultation today with Lakeland Surgical Clinic, PLLC, by phone or online.