Gallbladder removal, what do I need to know?

• Gallbladder removal surgery aims to eliminate the symptoms of gallstones. Although this is sometimes asymptomatic, delaying surgery leads to more serious situations.
• The gallbladder removal operation, or cholecystectomy, can be done laparoscopically or by open surgery. Although laparoscopic surgery is more common, sometimes gallbladder removal will be performed with open surgery.
• After the gallbladder removal surgery, you will go through a period of adjustment so that your body can get used to living without a gallbladder. Once you have recovered from the surgery, you will be able to lead a normal life.

Before going into the reasons for gallbladder removal, or cholecystectomy, it is important to know how this organ works. The gallbladder is below the liver and is responsible for storing bile, a liquid made up of salts produced by the liver whose function is to break down the fats we ingest. 

Thus, when food is digested in the intestine, the gallbladder expels bile through the common bile duct, between the gallbladder and the liver, helping the digestion of fatty foods.

In some cases, bile crystallises into gallstones, resulting in a diseased gallbladder. Although the causes are unknown, gallstone formation is associated with a high percentage of cholesterol in the bile, an excessive amount of bilirubin and a malfunctioning gallbladder.

Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Gallstones, regardless of their size, can be asymptomatic or, in the worst case, cause a blockage in the bile duct. This condition is, in most cases, a painful and inflammatory condition.

Gallbladder removal surgery improves the quality of life of those who have suffered from heavy and painful digestion with colic for a long time. Therefore, cholecystectomy should not be delayed too long when symptoms are clear and gallstones are known to be present in the gallbladder.

Delaying the gallbladder removal surgery may aggravate the situation, causing cholecystitis, pancreatitis or perionitis.

Nowadays, gallbladder removal is performed using minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopic surgery. However, when it is not safe to perform cholecystectomy with the laparoscopic technique, the gallbladder removal operation is carried out with conventional surgery.

Below, we tell you all about the surgical treatments to remove the gallbladder in the safest and most comfortable way for the patient.

Gallbladder removal surgery is the best option when gallstone symptoms result in persistent pain over time, or in the worst case, there is a possibility of cholecystitis, pancreatitis and even peritonitis.

To avoid more serious problems and improve quality of life, the best option is to perform a cholecystectomy, i.e. the gallbladder removal operation. As you have read, this surgery can be done with the most minimally invasive or with a more traditional technique, but under what circumstances is one technique more appropriate than the other?

Gallbladder removal by laparoscopy

Laparoscopic gallbladder removal operation involves an innovative technique with great advantages, such as avoiding the large incision involved in open surgery. In addition, the laparoscopic technique provides the surgeon with 3D depth perception and detail, improving his precision, thus increasing the safety of the operation.

In this surgery, surgical tools and a light camera are inserted through several mini incisions in the abdomen. The abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide gas so that all organs can be differentiated and the gallbladder can be removed more safely.

Some features of laparoscopy, which make it the least invasive technique, are:

• Avoid the large incision of 13 cm - 18 cm required for open surgery. In the case of laparoscopy, the procedure is performed through 4 small incisions in the abdomen.
• With the laparoscopic technique, any postoperative pain you may experience is reduced to a minimum.
• In addition, you will leave the hospital 24 hours after surgery. In some cases, you will be admitted to hospital for 2 days, at the doctor's discretion, for greater safety.
• In relation to the above, you will be able to resume your normal activities much sooner than with open cholecystectomy.

Laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery is performed under general anaesthesia and takes 1 - 2 hours, depending on the situation you present and the complexity of the gallbladder removal in your case. As for full recovery, it will be completed in 1-2 weeks after the operation. Furthermore, as we said, the laparoscopic technique avoids the need for large incisions.

Today, laparoscopy is the technique most commonly used for gallbladder removal. However, it is not always possible to perform cholecystectomy laparoscopically.

Laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery is the most common technique, although it is not suitable for all patients.

Gallbladder removal with open surgery, the most conventional technique

A small number of patients are not suitable for laparoscopic gallbladder removal because of the inability to see and manipulate the organs effectively.

However, if the surgeon decides to convert laparoscopic cholecystectomy to open surgery, it does not mean that there are any complications. 

The only thing this decision demonstrates is good judgement on the part of the surgeon, as well as his or her commitment to your health and well-being.

Some factors that increase the risk of conversion include:

• Obesity
• Previous abdominal surgeries with dense scarring or previous surgeries at risk of causing bleeding during cholecystectomy.

Gallbladder removal by open surgery has a similar duration to laparoscopic surgery, although it requires a much longer hospital stay of 2-4 days and a slower recovery time of 6-8 weeks.

Even so, open surgery for gallbladder removal is as safe and effective as laparoscopy, so if you are not a candidate for laparoscopic surgery, you will be proposed for open surgery and will be treated with the same safety. 

The only differences between the techniques will have to do with the size of the scar and the time it will take you to recover.

One of the most frequently asked questions by gallbladder removal surgery patients to their surgeons is about recovery after the operation. In the consultations prior to surgery, all questions will be answered.

Medicine has advanced over time, making surgical techniques much more effective and efficient. Therefore, cholecystectomy is performed more effectively and efficiently, improving quality of life and reducing post-surgical recovery time.

Thus, recovery after gallbladder removal, regardless of whether it is performed with open or laparoscopic surgery, consists of the following:

• Nausea and vomiting are common, especially in the first few days after surgery. As it is an abdominal operation, you may feel some discomfort or pain in the abdomen.
• The diet right after cholecystectomy will be progressive, so once liquids and more solid foods are tolerated, you will be able to leave the hospital.
• Walking is usually advised, although this will depend on how you feel after the gallbladder removal operation.
• Depending on the technique used, a return to normal activities will be sooner or later. In both cases, this will include driving, climbing stairs, light lifting and returning to work.
• Recovery, in either case, will be progressive.

Yellowing of the eyes, fever, incessant abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, or drainage from any of the surgical wounds may be a sign of a complication. In these circumstances, it is necessary, necessary and urgent that you go to the doctor to control the situation in the safest and most immediate way possible.

There are people who wait a long time before deciding to have a cholecystectomy, because of fear or doubts about what life will be like without a gallbladder, leading to a much more serious situation. However, removing the gallbladder when it is diseased only leads to an increase in the quality of life.

Some patients who require cholecystectomy wonder what their life will be like after gallbladder removal and often question their health. However, patients who have a cholecystectomy can live a normal life, provided they follow a healthy diet.

The gallbladder stores bile and expels it into the small intestine to digest fats. In cases where there is a gallbladder, the bile can use other routes to reach the intestine, so the gallbladder is not an essential organ. For this reason, once you have recovered from the operation, you will be able to lead a normal life.

After removal of the gallbladder, the role of storing bile is taken over by a duct leading from the liver to the intestine, known as the common bile duct. This duct dilates and performs the function of the gallbladder perfectly. It is very common to feel a slight pain on the right side of the abdomen after gallbladder removal. However, this does not indicate anything wrong, on the contrary, it means that the common bile duct is adapting to its new function.

The gallbladder is not an essential organ, so after gallbladder removal surgery, normal life is possible.

When the gallbladder disappears, the liver deposits bile directly into the intestine, resulting in an increase in bowel movements and, in some cases, diarrhoea. It is also normal for some symptoms to appear after cholecystectomy. However, these will improve and even disappear after a few weeks. 

Some of them are:

• Abdominal discomfort
• Flatulence
• Intolerance to fatty foods
• Acidity in the stomach. Because bile passes from the intestine into the stomach, reflux will occur.

After gallbladder removal surgery, it is not necessary to avoid fatty foods by all means. In this case, it will be possible to eat all kinds of food, but always in combination with a diet rich in vegetables, without a lot of fried foods or industrial pastries.

Although the doctor will tell you all this after you have been discharged from the hospital, here are some tips to help you recover from gallbladder removal surgery.

After cholecystectomy, fat digestion will be more difficult due to the change in the digestive system. It will be necessary to modify certain eating habits to avoid symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhoea, and also to help the intestine to function without a gallbladder.

With the passage of time and by maintaining an appropriate diet for the situation, the body will get used to not having a gallbladder and it will be possible to eat all kinds of food again.

However, after surgery it is important to prioritise a number of foods to aid recovery:

• Low-fat meats: white fish, skinless chicken, turkey.
• Fruits: all except avocado and coconut.
• Whole grains: rice, oats, wholemeal pasta, bread.
• Low-fat milks and yoghurts.
• White cheeses.

Maintaining such a fibre-rich diet will help control diarrhoea and prevent constipation. It will also reduce pain and physical discomfort.

On the contrary, you should avoid fatty foods such as red meat, chorizo, sausages, tinned meat, pizza, fried foods and, in general, any industrialised product with saturated fats such as sweets, biscuits and pastries. In addition, alcoholic beverages should also be avoided.

Something very common after gallbladder removal surgery is the alteration in weight. In cases where the patient maintains a healthy diet, weight loss can be maintained over time, even permanently, due to the changes in diet. However, there are other cases in which, after the adaptation period, the patient eats more food and all kinds of food without feeling any pain when eating, favouring weight gain.

As we said before, it will be the doctor who will be in charge of talking to you and informing you about all this. He or she will also give you a diet to suit the situation, so that you don't get confused in the early days of your gallbladder.

Operarme has the collaboration and commitment of several private hospitals throughout the country as well as its own portfolio of first class specialists. 

Therefore, if you are thinking of undergoing gallbladder removal surgery, you can do so with the management of our company and benefit from a series of advantages:

• Free surgical assessment consultation. Operarme offers you this free appointment so that the specialist and his team can determine the surgical need and the technique for which you are suitable.
• First class hospitals. Our company collaborates with a large list of private hospitals throughout Spain with quality medical care and the most advanced technology.
• Personalised patient care service. A member of the Operarme’s Patient Service Team will be in contact with you throughout the entire process and will be at your disposal to answer any questions you may have, as well as to help you with all the formalities.
• Transfer service. In order to make the process much more bearable and less annoying, you will have available a transfer service that will take you to the hospital on the day of admission and, in the same way, will return you home when you are discharged from hospital.
• All-inclusive, fixed price. The price of the gallbladder removal surgery is a fixed price, regardless of whether it is open or laparoscopic surgery.

Operarme’s price for gallbladder removal varies depending on the technique used for the surgery. 

However, as you have already read, in both cases it is a fixed price and includes all the essential factors for carrying out the surgery and a series of elements necessary for the patient's comfort throughout the process.

The price of the gallbladder removal operation with open surgery is €4,390 and that of the operation with laparoscopy starts from €5,190. As you know, these are fixed prices with the option of financing.

As these are two different techniques, and one of them is minimally invasive, it is clear that one will require more time in hospital than the other. Therefore, in the Operarme’s price for surgery, it is included:

• In the gallbladder removal operation with open surgery, the stay will be 3 days in a room with an accompanying bed.
• In the gallbladder removal operation with laparoscopy, the stay will consist of 2 days in a room with an accompanying bed.

Regardless of the approach, there are a number of elements that are indispensable for a successful gallbladder removal operation. Therefore, in both open and laparoscopic surgery, the price is made up of all the factors that make cholecystectomy possible:

• Booking of the operating theatre.
• Care after surgery until you are discharged from hospital.
• Catering and linen service during the entire hospital stay.
• Medical fees.
• Anaesthesiologist fees.
• Nursing fees.
• Surgical material necessary for open surgery or laparoscopy.
• Free transfer service to take you to the hospital on the day of the operation, as well as to take you home on the day of discharge.

If you would like to have a surgical assessment consultation, we remind you that Operarme offers an immediate and free appointment with our specialists in general surgery; you will be able to tell one of our specialists about your case so that the need for surgery can be assessed.

However, the objective of this first consultation is to determine the surgical need and establish the type of surgery that is suitable for you, open or laparoscopic. Therefore, you will need to provide all the tests you have previously undergone so that the doctor can prepare a more accurate report and, in addition, determine the need for a pre-operative procedure.

To book this first surgical assessment consultation you can do so by calling at +34 91 141 33 56 or by filling in the contact form. Our Patient Service Team will contact you to arrange a date and time that suits you best, or to answer any questions you may have about the gallbladder removal operation and the services that Operarme offers for the surgery.

Request your free surgical assessment consultation with one of our gallbladder specialists by clicking on the following image: