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Gallbladder removal - laparoscopic - discharge

Cholecystectomy laparoscopic - discharge; Cholelithiasis - laparoscopic discharge; Biliary calculus - laparoscopic discharge; Gallstones - laparoscopic discharge; Cholecystitis - laparoscopic discharge

 

Laparoscopic gallbladder removal is surgery to remove the gallbladder using a medical device called a laparoscope.

When You're in the Hospital

 

You had a procedure called a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Your doctor made 1 to 3 small cuts in your belly and used a special instrument called a laparoscope to take out your gallbladder.

 

What to Expect at Home

 

Recovering from laparoscopic cholecystectomy will take about 1 to 3 weeks for most people. You may have some of these symptoms as you recover:

  • Pain in your belly. You may also feel pain in one or both shoulders. This pain comes from the gas still left in your belly after the surgery. The pain should ease over several days to a week.
  • A sore throat from the breathing tube. Sucking on ice chips or gargling may be soothing.
  • Nausea, and maybe throwing up. Your surgeon can provide you with nausea medicine if needed.
  • Loose stools after eating. This may last 4 to 8 weeks. However, in some cases it can last longer.
  • Bruising around your wounds. This will go away on its own.
  • Skin redness around your wounds. This is normal.

 

Activity

 

Start walking after surgery. Begin your everyday activities as soon as you feel up to it. Move around the house and shower, and use the stairs during your first week home. If it hurts when you do something, stop doing that activity.

You may be able to drive after 2 or 3 days if you are not taking strong pain drugs (narcotics). You may lift 15 pounds (7 kilograms) or less. DO NOT do any heavy lifting or straining for the first 1 to 2 weeks.

You may be able to go back to a desk job within a week. Talk to your health care provider if your work is physical.

 

Wound Care

 

If sutures, staples, or glue were used to close your skin, you may take off the wound dressings and take a shower the day after surgery.

If tape strips (Steri-strips) were used to close your skin, cover the wounds with plastic wrap before showering for the first week after surgery. DO NOT try to wash the Steri-strips off. Let them fall off on their own.

DO NOT soak in a bathtub or hot tub, or go swimming, until your doctor tells you it is OK.

 

Diet

 

Eat a normal diet. You may want to avoid greasy or spicy foods for a while.

 

Follow-up

 

Go for a follow-up visit with your provider 1 to 2 weeks after your surgery.

 

When to Call the Doctor

 

Call your provider if:

  • Your temperature is above 101°F (38.3°C).
  • Your surgical wounds are bleeding, red or warm to the touch or you have a thick, yellow or green, or milky drainage.
  • You have pain that is not helped with your pain medicines.
  • It is hard to breathe.
  • You have a cough that does not go away.
  • You cannot drink or eat.
  • Your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow.
  • Your stools are a gray color.

 

 

References

American College of Surgeons. Cholecystectomy: Surgical removal of the gallbladder. American College of Surgeons Surgical Patient Education Program. www.facs.org/~/media/files/education/patient%20ed/cholesys.ashx . Accessed August 9, 2016.

Brenner P, Kautz DD. Postoperative care of patients undergoing same-day laparoscopic cholecystectomy. AORN J . 2015;102(1):16-29. PMID: 26119606 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26119606 .

Jackson PG, Evans SRT. Biliary System. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery . 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 54.

 
  • Gallbladder - illustration

    The gallbladder is a sac located under the liver. It stores and concentrates the bile produced in the liver. Bile is released from the gallbladder in response to food, especially fats, in the upper small intestine.

    Gallbladder

    illustration

  • Gallbladder anatomy - illustration

    The gallbladder is a sac located under the liver. It stores and concentrates the bile produced in the liver.

    Gallbladder anatomy

    illustration

  • Incision

    Presentation

  •  
    • Gallbladder - illustration

      The gallbladder is a sac located under the liver. It stores and concentrates the bile produced in the liver. Bile is released from the gallbladder in response to food, especially fats, in the upper small intestine.

      Gallbladder

      illustration

    • Gallbladder anatomy - illustration

      The gallbladder is a sac located under the liver. It stores and concentrates the bile produced in the liver.

      Gallbladder anatomy

      illustration

    • Incision

      Presentation

    •  

    A Closer Look

     

    Talking to your MD

     

      Self Care

       

        Tests for Gallbladder removal - laparoscopic - discharge

         

           

          Review Date: 7/22/2016

          Reviewed By: Subodh K. Lal, MD, gastroenterologist with Gastrointestinal Specialists of Georgia, Austell, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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