What happens the first week after gallbladder removal?

After your surgery, you will likely feel weak and tired for several days after you return home. Your belly may be swollen. If you had laparoscopic surgery, you may also have pain in your shoulder for about 24 hours. You may have gas or need to burp a lot at first.

How should I feel a week after gallbladder surgery?

It usually takes around two weeks to return to your daily routine after laparoscopic gallbladder removal. Often patients experience some fatigue that lasts for a couple of weeks where they start to feel tired in the afternoons and may need a nap. Do not hesitate to get some extra rest and if you need a nap, take one!

How long does it take to heal inside after gallbladder surgery?

It can take around 3 to 4 weeks to return to your normal activities, and 6 to 8 weeks if you have a more manual job. In either case, you'll need to arrange for someone to take you home from hospital.

How long does your stomach stay swollen after gallbladder surgery?

Your belly will feel bloated for about one week; you may not be able to close your pants. This will pass as the gas in the abdomen is absorbed.

What can you eat the first week after gallbladder surgery?

Avoid high-fat foods, fried and greasy foods, and fatty sauces and gravies for at least a week after surgery. Instead, choose fat-free or low-fat foods. Low-fat foods are those with no more than 3 grams of fat a serving. Check labels and follow the serving size listed.

Gallbladder Removal Surgery • My first week Post-Op • Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

What is the fastest way to recover from gallbladder surgery?

How should you sleep after gallbladder surgery?

Sleep on your back or left side, not on your stomach or right side. After gallbladder surgery, your incisions will be on the right side of your belly where your gallbladder is. If you can avoid sleeping directly on your incisions, it may reduce pressure on the area and cause you less discomfort.

How long is bed rest after gallbladder surgery?

Generally, you should only need complete rest for the first 24 hours.

Why do my ribs hurt after gallbladder surgery?

But people still have this pain after their gallbladder is removed. Sometimes SOD causes pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a severe swelling and irritation of the pancreas. It may cause stomach pain around the belly button and pain in the left side under the ribs.

When can I sleep on my right side after gallbladder surgery?

comfortable. After 48 hours you may sleep flat on your back, you may not sleep on your stomach or sides for four weeks. Fluids: Fluids are critical following surgery. Drinking fluids is very important to help rid the body of the drugs used in surgery.

How long should you be sore after gallbladder surgery?

Pain in your belly. You may also feel pain in one or both shoulders. This pain comes from the gas still left in your belly after the surgery. The pain should ease over several days to a week.

How does your stomach feel after gallbladder removal?

You can expect to live a perfectly normal life after gallbladder surgery but may experience temporary side effects related to the way your digestive system processes fatty foods. These symptoms may include loose stools or diarrhea, bloating, cramping, and excess gas in response to meals or certain foods.

Can I go up stairs after gallbladder surgery?

You can go up and down stairs on the day of your surgery. The next day, you may take your bandages off, if you have them, and take a shower. You can expect to feel a little better each day after going home.

Do and don'ts after gallbladder removal?

avoid drinks containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea. avoid foods that make the problems worse, such as spicy or fatty foods. gradually increase your intake of fibre – good sources of fibre include fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain rice, wholewheat pasta and bread, seeds, nuts and oats.

Why is my stomach so swollen after gallbladder surgery?

But bile fluid can occasionally leak out into the tummy (abdomen) after the gallbladder is removed. Symptoms of a bile leak include tummy pain, feeling sick, a fever and a swollen tummy. Sometimes this fluid can be drained off.

How do you shower after gallbladder surgery?

Bathing/showering:

If you have a plastic dressing, you may start showering 24 hours after surgery. If you have a fabric dressing, you may shower after you remove the dressing (4 days after surgery). You may shower with your steri-strips and staples or stiches in place. Do not scrub across your steri-strips or staples.

Can you bend over after gallbladder surgery?

Avoid lifting more than 10 pounds for four weeks and excessive bending or twisting for one to two weeks following surgery. This is to allow healing of the incisions.

What should I wear after gallbladder surgery?

Choose garments that stretch and have soft material. Little movements go a long way. Moving around may feel like the last thing that you want to do if you are sore and tired, but actually getting up and moving around every few hours will expedite the healing process and help reduce the build-up of gas in your belly.

Is it normal to have sharp pain after gallbladder surgery?

During gallbladder removal, it's rare but possible for a surgeon to damage the intestines. This may result in cramping. Some pain is normal following any surgery, but if it continues beyond a few days or gets worse instead of better, speak to your doctor.

How long will my stomach be swollen after laparoscopy?

Just like with many surgeries, you might experience some discomfort after a laparoscopy. These discomforts can include: Your abdomen might be swollen for several days after the surgery. You may take acetaminophen to relieve pain.

Do you lose weight after gallbladder surgery?

People who undergo gallbladder removal surgery will often experience changes in their body weight ahead of and following this procedure. Many people will lose weight initially but may see an increase in their BMI in the long term. It is usually possible to manage these weight changes with diet and exercise.

What happens to your body after having your gallbladder removed?

Living without a gallbladder

Your liver will still make enough bile to digest your food, but instead of being stored in the gallbladder, it drips continuously into your digestive system. You may have been advised to eat a special diet before surgery, but this doesn't need to be continued afterwards.

How painful is gallbladder surgery?

There is usually minimal pain associated with this operation. The abdomen will be sore as well as the small incision sites, and some patients have shoulder pain for the first day or two. The shoulder pain is caused by gas left in your abdomen during the operation. It will disappear on its own.

What helps with pain after gallbladder surgery?

Take Extra Strength Tylenol (or generic acetaminophen) 1000mg every 6 hours for 3 days, then only as needed to control discomfort. Take Advil (or generic ibuprofen) 600mg every 6 hours for 3 days, then only as needed to control discomfort.

How do you get rid of gas and bloating after gallbladder surgery?