The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ nestled in the upper right abdomen, just below the liver. The liver produces bile and stores it inside the gallbladder before it secreting it to the small intestine to help aid with digestion. Gallstones may form in the gallbladder, causing symptoms such as pain, nausea and vomiting. An operation to remove the gallbladder, called a cholecystectomy, may become necessary to treat the condition. The surgeon can perform the surgery by cutting the abdomen open or by performing a laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder, with a longer recovery for the open surgery.
Step 1
Go home following the surgery. Without complications, they surgeon will discharge an individual from the hospital the same day as the surgery. If complications occur from the operation or for open procedures, the individual may need to stay in the hospital for two or three days, according to the American College of Surgeons.
Step 2
Rest to help the body recover from the surgery.
Step 3
Watch for signs of infection. Signs and symptoms of a postoperative infection include increased pain at the incision site, redness around the incision, drainage from the incision and a fever. Report any infection symptoms to the surgeon.
Step 4
Take deep breaths several times each hour. When an individual undergoes general anesthesia, taking deep breaths following the surgery will help open the lower portion of the lungs and may prevent fluid from accumulating and pneumonia from occurring.
Step 5
Walk as much as the physician orders. Getting out of bed and moving around helps the circulation in the legs after undergoing a removal of the gallbladder. This may help prevent the risk of developing blood clots in the legs.
Step 6
Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of fluids per day. Increased fluids may help prevent dehydration and constipation.
Step 7
Avoid lifting and any other strenuous activity for at least three to five days following a laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder and for approximately two weeks for an open procedure, according to the American College of Surgeons.
Step 8
Monitor bowel movements. Eating solid foods before the intestines awaken fully may cause a blockage in the intestines. This blockage may cause constipation, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Narcotic pain medications may also cause constipation. Following the removal of the gallbladder, some individuals may experience diarrhea with frequency that may decrease with time, according to MayoClinic.com.
Step 9
Keep the incision sites clean and dry during healing. Avoid submersing into a bath until completely healed to prevent a possible infection. Return to the physician for removal of any sutures or staples closing the skin following surgery. Steri strips will fall off spontaneously after about a week.
Step 10
Take pain medications on a regular schedule as directed by the surgeon. Hold a pillow over the abdomen to splint the incision while coughing and deep breathing to help ease the pain.
