Underneath your liver, there is an organ shaped like a small sac. This is your gallbladder. Your gallbladder helps your body digest fat. This organ is responsible for storing and then secreting bile into the small intestine after you have eaten. If you develop gallstones that cause severe pain or a disease that affects the gallbladder, you may need surgery to remove the organ. Understanding the risks involved with this procedure will help you to talk to your doctor and make informed choices.
General Risks
According to the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, most patients experience few or no complications during gallbladder surgery. Risks associated with surgery in part depend on your age and general health before the operation. With any operation there is always the general risk of infection, excessive bleeding, kidney problems, breathing problems or complications from the anesthesia. You may develop a fever, chills or general sensations of not feeling well. Death from gallbladder surgery is rare. According to the American College of Surgeons, death occurs in zero to one patients out of every 1,000 surgeries.
Specific Risks
Other risks of gallbladder surgery include pneumonia, blood clots or heart problems. The National Institutes of Health suggests that there can also be structural damage to your bile duct or bowels. There may be redness, warmth, swelling, pain or a discharge around the site of the incision. Complications of surgery may lead to abdominal swelling, constant abdominal pain and persistent nausea or vomiting.
Rare Complications
The American College of Surgeons claims that in rare cases there may be injury to the common bile duct (the tube that carries bile from the gallbladder and liver into the small intestine). This may lead to a leakage of bile. Symptoms can include fever, abdominal cramping, jaundice or an odor and increased discharge from the incision site. If this occurs you may need a second operation to correct the problem. In other cases there can be damage to your intestines or major blood vessels during the procedure.
