More than half a million people undergo gallbladder removal, or cholecystectomy, each year in the U.S., according to Surgery.com. Dietary restrictions before gallbladder removal are common, since fat intake and other dietary substances can aggravate gallbladder disease. After gallbladder removal, dietary restrictions generally ease; follow your own medical practitioner's specific instructions for your diet, since individual situations vary.
Purpose
The gallbladder, a small organ located beneath the liver, stores bile produced in the liver. The gallbladder contracts and releases bile into the small intestine after you eat. Bile helps break down fats; an extra-fatty meal requires more bile release. Pain comes from blockages in the gallbladder tract if stones lodge in the duct openings that lead from the gallbladder to the small intestine. Before surgery, avoiding fats helps reduce bile release and gallbladder contraction, easing pain. Removing the gallbladder removes the source of pain.
Timing
In the first few weeks after surgery, your doctor may recommend following a low-fat diet as your body adjusts to the lack of the gallbladder. In the first few weeks after gallbladder removal, the liver leaks bile continuously into the small intestine. If you eat a meal high in fats, there may not be enough bile in the small intestine to break it down. Over time, the bile duct leading from the liver takes over the gallbladder's function, enlarging to hold extra bile.
Dietary Suggestions
Eat low-fat, easy-to-digest foods such as lean meats and low-fat dairy products for the first few weeks after surgery, NetWellness suggests. Eat small portions and avoid spicy foods and gas-forming foods such as beans and cabbage. Limit fat and oil intake to two to three servings per day. Some people may have difficulty with nuts, whole-wheat breads and spices such as red or black pepper.
Adverse
Eating a meal high in fats if you don't have enough available bile to break it down can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea. Excess fat in the intestine pulls extra fluid into the intestine, causing bloating, while bacteria in the intestine break down fat, producing gas.
Benefits
Start with simple, bland foods and work up to more highly-flavored foods after cholecystectomy, so you can determine which foods, if any, give you trouble. You may be able to eat an unrestricted diet within a few weeks after gallbladder removal.
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