How Doctors Explain Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery

If you have started to notice that gallstones or something happening with your gallbladder has started to interfere with your life, you may have considered removal of your gallbladder by laparoscopic removal due to the recommendation of your doctor. 

After several visits to your doctor for evaluation and treatment and being told gallbladder surgery is the answer to the gallbladder issues you have been having, you become nervous about the word “surgery“. But once you discuss with the doctors what would happen in surgery, how the recovery would be and what are the most common outcomes of the surgery, the need to have gallbladder surgery seems easier to accept. Here is how surgeons typically communicate this to patients.

First, What Does the Gallbladder Do?

The gallbladder is a small organ located underneath your liver. The gallbladder stores bile that comes from the liver, because bile aids in digestion specifically to help break down fat. When a person eats, the gallbladder releases the bile stored in it into the small intestine to help with one’s digestion directly after their meal, if the gallbladder is still present.

The gallbladder, however, is not essential for survival. If it starts forming stones (hardened deposits of bile), or it starts to cause pain, infection or inflammation it may need to be removed.

Why Choose Laparoscopic Gallbladder Removal?

A laparoscopic cholecystectomy is recommended because it is considered the least invasive option. Laparoscopic surgery utilizes a few (3-4) small incisions, instead of one large incision. These incisions are used to insert a laparoscope (a thin tube with a camera) and surgical instruments to remove the gallbladder.

Here are the reasons it is usually the preferred choice:

• Smaller incisions = Less scarring.
• Recovery is much faster than traditional open surgery.
• You are usually able to go home the same day or 1 day post-operative.
• Less post-operative pain and lower risk of infection.

How Do Doctors Explain the Procedure?

Surgeons try to be clear and simple, usually going over the following steps with patients: 

1. Anesthesia: You will be put under general anesthesia, which means you will be asleep for the surgery. 
2. Incisions:  Generally, between 3 and 4 tiny incisions are made in the abdomen.
3. Inflating the Abdomen: The area is inflated gently with carbon dioxide gas, which improves surgical view and gives the surgeon more room to work.
4. Gallbladder Removal: The surgeon removes the gallbladder using the laparoscope and instruments via one of the incisions. 
5. Closure: Closure of the tiny incisions is done either with sutures or surgical glue.

The procedure takes about 1 to 2 hours.

What Happens After Surgery?

After your gallbladder has been taken out, you will become accustomed to digesting food without it. In most cases, patients are out of the hospital in less than 24 hours and many people are back to light activity in about a week. 

Doctors regularly tell patients what they can expect after surgery, including:

• Some shoulder pain (due to remaining gas in the abdomen)
• Some soreness around all of your incision sites
• Dietary changes (at first, no greasy or heavy meals)
• Most people are completely back to their regular schedule in 2–3 weeks.

What Are the Risks?

Like any other surgery, laparoscopic gallbladder surgery has its risks, but complications are rare. Risks may include:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• Injury to nearby structures, such as the bile duct or liver

For this reason, it can be important to have a capable surgical team. Your doctor will also explain what to watch for after your surgery in case of complications such as pain that won’t go away, fever and excessive swelling.

The goal of doctors is to make the process as less stressful as possible, by clarifying each aspect of treatment, including what the gallbladder does versus why it needs to be removed and what the process looks like for recovery. Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is one of the most safest and frequently performed abdominal surgeries presently.

If you were referred for gallbladder removal, understanding the process is the first step toward feeling more at ease. Sugam Hospital has experienced surgeons and reputable and enhanced Laparoscopic Surgery in Chennai to get you back to living right away.