Gall bladder removal, or cholecystectomy, is usually performed as a treatment for gallstones. Cholecystectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Gallstones are like small pebbles that develop in the gallbladder, which is a non-essential organ. Returning to a normal diet may be difficult for a gallbladder removal patient, especially if his normal diet is one that contains a large amount of fat.
Step 1
Learn the process of the gallbladder and what the consequences of removal are. The gallbladder stores bile that has been manufactured in the liver. Bile digests fat in food. This stored bile is used whenever someone eats a fatty meal. When the gallbladder is removed, the liver continues to manufacture bile, but because there is no bile storage facility, the bile is secreted by the liver in small amounts. The liver may not secrete enough bile to digest a large amount of fat, and the person may suffer diarrhea as a result.
Step 2
After the surgery, eat a clear liquid diet, which will be started in the hospital after tubes in the nose are removed and the patient can tolerate fluid intake, according to Aurora Health Care. Clear liquids contain very little fat, if any. Foods on this diet include anything that is a clear liquid at room temperature, such as gelatin, broths and coffee.
Step 3
Advance to a full liquid diet as tolerated. Full liquids contain some fats, which require a little bile to digest. Eat these liquids slowly to give the liver time to produce enough bile to digest the fats. A full liquid diet is described as foods that are liquid at room temperature, but not necessarily clear in appearance. These foods include cream soups and low-fat dairy products such as ice cream and pudding.
Step 4
Progress as tolerated to soft, bland foods that are low in fat. Soft, bland foods are easy for the body to digest, but deliver necessary nutrition to the post-surgical patient. Soft, bland foods that are low in fat can include vegetables such as potatoes and peas without butter and low-fat meats such as poultry and fish.
Step 5
Enjoy a regular, low-fat diet. Because the body no longer has a reservoir to contain extra bile for use whenever needed to digest fatty meals, a regular diet should continue to be low-fat. If too many fats are ingested, the patient may experience diarrhea, especially in the weeks following surgery to remove the gallbladder. This diarrhea usually goes away, according to MayoClinic.com, as the body adapts.
