How long do they live after gallbladder removal? After removal of the gallbladder. Food. Possible problems. Dysfunction of the sphincter of Oddi after surgery

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped process in the human body designed to store and transport yellow fluid to the stomach.

In surgery, there are indications for laparoscopy, one of them is cholelithiasis. What will life be like after gallbladder removal?

This question worries every patient to whom surgeons recommend laparoscopy. The opinion that a person, after such an operation, will become incapacitated and inferior, is erroneous.

However, in order to maintain normal life after the removal of one of the internal organs, you need to follow all the medical recommendations, namely, follow the rules of a healthy diet, give up power loads, minimize bad habits, etc.

The value of the gallbladder

Before we proceed to consider the issue of the capacity of a person who has survived laparoscopy, it is necessary to provide theoretical information about the main functions of this organ.

It is an erroneous opinion that the yellow liquid is produced by the gallbladder. It is generated by cells of the liver, one of the most important internal organs.

As for the piriform process, located in the liver zone, it acts as a reservoir for storing bile.

She, in turn, is necessary for the body to digest food entering the stomach.

Without yellow fluid, the gastrointestinal tract will not absorb the nutrients a person needs for normal life.

The mechanism of entry of yellow liquid into the stomach:

1. Generation by hepatic cells.
2. Entry into the gallbladder.
3. Infusion into the duct.
4. Ingestion.

What functions does it perform? This liquid is intended not only to ensure the process of digestion.

It also tones the intestines and removes pathogenic microflora from it. That is, among the additional functions of bile is the protection of the body from pathogens.

Interesting! Transportation of bile throughout the body is possible due to the production of the hormone cholecystokinin.

In the presence of pathologies leading to dysfunction of this organ, it must be removed. However, laparoscopy (surgery to remove internal organs) is a last resort.

It is carried out only in the presence of complications of the disease, the development of which provoked a malfunction of the internal organs.

One of the pathologies in the presence of which surgeons recommend getting rid of the reservoir organ is cholelithiasis.

What is it connected with? For various reasons, small neoplasms form in the gallbladder - calculi (popularly called stones).

The movement of stones within the organ can lead to blockage of the duct through which the yellow liquid enters the stomach. As a result, the person experiences severe pain.

Moreover, such an attack is fraught with the appearance of peritonitis - a dangerous complication that can provoke a rupture of the tissue surface of the organ.

The patient who encounters such a problem will die. However, in the absence of such attacks, gallstone pathology is almost asymptomatic.

For this reason, many patients who are diagnosed with it refuse to have their gallbladder removed for fear of disability or inferiority in the future.

Such fears are absolutely not justified by reality. Why? Now you will know.

The beginning of the recovery period

Laparoscopy, aimed at removing the reservoir organ, is not among the "complex" operations. The mortality rate among the people who got it done is practically zero.

After such a surgical intervention, a person recovers quickly. If he adheres to medical recommendations, then the risk of postoperative complications will be reduced to zero.

Important! The life of a person without a gallbladder will be as full as life before its removal.

However, for the outcome of laparoscopy to be positive, it is necessary to successfully complete the period of postoperative rehabilitation.

What will the patient face at first, after the removal of the reservoir organ? It is not worth counting on the fact that already on the first day after surgery, doctors will allow you to get out of bed.

Yes, removing the gallbladder is not a complicated procedure, but you will be cut out the internal organ, and this is serious.

Any surgical intervention is stressful for the body. Therefore, to get rid of it, it will take time.

Already on the first day after laparoscopy, you will feel pain in the right hypochondrium, that is, in the place where the reservoir organ used to be.

The intensity of discomfort varies from patient to patient. It depends on gender, age, weight and other factors.

Young patients who are not overweight recover faster than older and overweight patients.

In the first few days after laparoscopy, patients are injected with painkillers. The main goal of such therapy is to stop discomfort in the right hypochondrium.

When the discomfort subsides, the analgesic therapy is stopped. However, in the first month and a half of the recovery period, the patient may experience pain in the right side of the body, which is aching in nature.

The occurrence of such discomfort after laparoscopy is the norm. The body is under stress, it takes time to adjust to a new level of functioning.

However, if the pain in the right hypochondrium is unbearable, this symptom should not be ignored. Tell your doctor about it. He will probably increase the dose of the painkiller after that.

Removing the gallbladder will not stop the liver from producing yellow fluid. However, now there is no place in the human body to store it.

But even despite this, bile will flow into the duodenum and into the stomach, providing digestion. But moving exclusively along the duct, it will slowly flow into the stomach.

Therefore, in order not to provoke the appearance of postoperative complications and deterioration of well-being, the patient must adjust his diet.

Therapeutic diet

The patient is shown the so-called diet number 5. It contains important tips that you must follow.

Her main rule is not to overeat. Why is it important? Do not forget that laparoscopy involves removing the gallbladder from the human body.

This means that now there is no reservoir organ in the body, in which the bile generated by the liver cells was stored.

Now it will slowly enter the stomach, moving only along the duct. If a person left without this organ eats a large amount of food in 1 meal, it will stagnate in the intestines in an undigested form.

This is due to the slow infusion of the yellow liquid. For this reason, it is recommended to increase the number of daily meals, but reduce the size of the meals.

The second rule of a therapeutic diet is to minimize fatty foods. In the first few months after surgery, it will have to be completely abandoned.

The fact is that fatty products stimulate the accelerated production of yellow fluid by the liver. But do not forget about the absence of a reservoir organ in the body.

Metabolic processes will be disturbed, fats will not be absorbed, therefore, the patient will regularly be haunted by a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, as well as severe pain in the right hypochondrium.

Thus, the use of fatty products in the first months after laparoscopy is fraught with unpleasant symptoms, namely:

• Hepatic colic.
• Bloating.
• Disturbed bowel function (diarrhea).
• Nausea.

If an increase in body temperature is added to these signs of a pathological postoperative process, this is an alarming situation.

In this case, you need to urgently go to the hospital for an additional examination.

Surgeons insist that 45 days is the minimum duration of adherence to the rules of a therapeutic diet after surgery.

Advice! On the first day after laparoscopy, refuse to eat not only food, but also liquids. To avoid dehydration, moisten your lips with cool water and rinse your mouth with herbal decoction.

It is allowed to drink liquid for 2 days. It is advisable to drink only mineral water. Tea lovers can treat themselves to a weak tea drink.

Do not add sugar or honey to it. As for a rosehip drink, for example, a decoction, it is categorically contraindicated.

The fact is that wild rose stimulates an accelerated outflow of bile. On the third day after the operation, the patient can drink chicken broth with crackers. His portion should not be large.

Such a diet is indicated to the patient in the first 10 days after laparoscopy. Further, he is allowed to expand the list of dishes.

• Lunch should be the third meal. This meal should not be limited to eating one dish. The patient is recommended to eat mashed soup and fish (or meat) broth.
• You need to eat little and often. The recommended number of daily meals is 7. The patient should eat every 3 hours.
• It is important to ensure that the food served at the table is at room temperature. It is strictly forbidden to eat ice cream or something cold in the first postoperative month.
• It is desirable that all dishes served to the table be wiped. Swallowing large pieces of food is unacceptable.
• It is forbidden to eat vegetables and fruits raw. Before use, they must be heat treated. For example, apples can be baked in the oven. You can also prepare vegetable or fruit puree. The use of raw fruits and vegetables is fraught with an increase in the load on the intestines, and this is highly undesirable during the rehabilitation period.

Sports after gallbladder removal

Professional athletes who are referred by surgeons for an operation to remove a reservoir organ may be seriously worried about their future career.

However, they can exhale with relief, because they do not have to give up the sport. However, do not forget about the need for a recovery period.

In the first 2 months after removal of the gallbladder, any physical activity is contraindicated. This is due to the risk of divergence of the seams.

Advice! If you've had a laparoscopy to remove your gallbladder, don't lift weights. The maximum weight of an object that you are allowed to lift is 1 kg.

Any intense loads should be excluded. This applies to running, strength training, jumping, etc.

However, the patient can engage in physical therapy. Such exercises will help not only to recover faster, but also not to lose shape.

It is allowed to start playing sports no later than 3 months from the date of surgical intervention.

Otherwise, you risk facing severe hepatic colic. Why do doctors recommend their patients to exercise therapy?

• Exercises from this complex stimulate the normalization of blood flow, which is necessary after laparoscopy.
• They are aimed at eliminating congestion in the body, namely, at diluting bile.
• Classes from the medical complex improve muscle tone. When the gallbladder is cut out of the body, it is in a state of stress. Therefore, to get out of this state, it is necessary to give the muscles a tone.
• Therapeutic exercise is aimed at improving intestinal peristalsis. Thanks to such exercises, bile is more quickly excreted from the intestinal area.
• Such activities reduce the risk of certain ailments of the gastrointestinal tract, such as duodenal ulcers.

But these are not all the rules that are recommended to be observed during the recovery period.

Sex after gallbladder removal

Sexually active people who need laparoscopy may question the need for this operation.

It is believed that the sexual life of a person who has had his gallbladder removed is reduced to nothing. Is it so? No, this opinion is wrong.

However, in the first month after surgery, it is necessary to refrain from sexual intimacy.

It is even about passive sexual contact. The fact is that a rapid heartbeat, increased sweating and frequent breathing are the factors that can affect the divergence of the seams.

And, as you know, during sex, each of them affects the human body. Therefore, it is recommended to protect yourself.

If a married couple neglected this advice and had sex without waiting for the completion of the recovery period for one of the partners, there is a risk of postoperative complications.

As medical practice shows, for irresponsible women who have undergone laparoscopy, sexual intercourse in the first month after it will end in gynecological pathology.

Important! In the first month of recovery, you need to give up any physical activity, including sex.

It is allowed to restore sexual life no earlier than 4-5 weeks after the operation.

Lifestyle of the patient after laparoscopy

Bad habits

Of course, postoperative rehabilitation should not have anything to do with bad habits.

First of all, this applies to smokers. Yes, quitting smoking is not an easy task.

But do not get stressed ahead of time. If you cannot imagine your life without cigarettes, you should not give them up completely.

Tobacco smoking should be minimized. You are allowed to smoke no more than 1-2 cigarettes per day. Otherwise, the appearance of postoperative pathologies is inevitable.

One of the most dangerous complications of laparoscopy is ulcerative colitis. Also, smoking after such surgery significantly increases the risk of colorectal cancer.

Interesting! The notion that e-cigarettes are a “healthy” tobacco substitute is wrong. However, if you refill the cartridge with a refill that does not contain nicotine, the harmful effects on the body can be avoided.

The patient will also have to abstain from alcohol. This does not mean that for the rest of his life he will not be allowed to drink wine, champagne or beer.

However, they ate before the operation, a person allowed himself to drink 2 liters of beer in one evening, then after it he would have to limit himself to 1 liter.

What is it connected with? The negative effect of ethyl alcohol on the intestinal walls is enhanced in the absence of a reservoir organ in the body.

Also, this chemical substance contributes to a decrease in the immune system, which is unacceptable in postoperative rehabilitation.

Complete rest

8-hour sleep and lack of physical activity is the key to a successful postoperative recovery. It is important that not only the stomach rests, but the body as a whole.

Therefore, you need to sleep at least 8 hours a day, and since your capacity after removal of the gallbladder in the first month will be limited, do not deny yourself the pleasure of sleeping about 10 hours a day.

To stimulate sound sleep, before going to bed, it is recommended to take a walk in the fresh air.

If you live in a metropolis, then before going to bed you can just walk to the nearest store or supermarket.

However, what about those who suffer from insomnia? Fortunately, there are many ways to improve sleep:

• Don't eat at night. This is a very important rule. If your stomach is full, then you will definitely not fall asleep. The last meal should be at least 3 hours before bedtime.
• Protect yourself from electrical appliances that have a stimulating effect on your nervous system. An hour before bedtime, it is recommended to turn off the TV, phone and laptop.
• Do not engage in small talk before going to bed, this will negatively affect relaxation. After listening to gossip, it will be difficult for you to fall asleep.
• Brew herbal tea 1.5 hours before bedtime. For example, you can brew chamomile, linden or lemon balm. To improve the taste of tea, honey should be added to it.

If insomnia was provoked by psycho-emotional stress, then sedative drugs, for example, Glycine, will help get rid of it.

As you can see, life after removal of the gallbladder is not much different from that which was before the operation.

These important tips will help you successfully undergo post-operative recovery and return to a full life.

Useful video

It is known that the liver plays a vital role in our body. One of the functions of this organ is the production of bile, which is necessary for the normal absorption of fats by the body. The gallbladder serves as a kind of reservoir for storing bile, in which it accumulates and, when eating, is dosed into the duodenum for digestion of fats and absorption of nutrients into the blood.

Gallstone disease is a very common phenomenon today. It is known that about 80% of women giving birth and a little less than 30% of adult men suffer from it. There is a hypothesis about hereditary predisposition to this disease. One way or another, for someone it proceeds with little or no physical inconvenience. In the majority of patients, the stones, increasing in size, cover the entire lumen of the gallbladder, which leads to frequent painful spasms, serious disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and in some cases is fraught with perforation of the thin wall of the gallbladder, the consequences of which can be deadly. for the patient.

It is in such cases that doctors decide on the need for cholecystectomy, or surgical removal of the gallbladder. To date, this operation is performed in various ways, including the mini-access method (through a short incision) and laparoscopy, in which surgical manipulations are performed through small punctures in the peritoneum. As a rule, with successful rehabilitation, the patient is discharged 4-5 days after the operation, followed by observation in the clinic and compliance with strict rules regarding diet and lifestyle.

How to behave after removal of the gallbladder?
If your health condition has served as an indication for cholecystectomy, do not worry. Firstly, the extremely negative impact of gallstone disease on most digestive organs, in particular, on the pancreas, which is vital for a person, has been proven. Thus, by agreeing to the operation, you free your body from further destructive factors associated with gallbladder problems.

After the operation, during the first month, one should strictly adhere to the diet prescribed by the doctor, which requires the exclusion from the menu of fried, fatty, spicy and salty foods, as well as drinks containing alcohol. This is necessary in order to help the liver adapt to new conditions and take on additional functions due to the absence of the gallbladder.

Eat small meals 5-6 times a day. Avoid overeating, because the liver at first is not yet able to cope with the entire volume of incoming food. She has to work harder, producing more bile, since there is no more storage. For this reason, bile becomes more liquid, weakly concentrated, which can lead to the development of infection or inflammation in the stomach and duodenum. Non-compliance with the diet can also be accompanied by a deterioration in well-being, manifested in the form of stomach pain, nausea, or stool disorders.

However, if you follow all the recommendations of experts, gradually returning to your usual diet (this should happen within six months), you will eventually feel like a completely healthy person. Of course, you will need to limit the use of fatty and fried foods, as well as be less friends with alcohol, but the result you get from parting with the ill-fated gallbladder that brought you so much torment will make you feel like you were born again!

Is there life after gallbladder removal?
Many patients with cholelithiasis are terrified of an operation to remove a clogged and useless gallbladder. For some reason, such an operation is sometimes considered a direct path to obtaining a disability group! In fact, this is not at all the case. Yes, our body is designed in such a way that it does not contain any extra organs. Even the appendix takes on a role in digestion. However, its removal does not lead anyone to horrific thoughts about the complete loss of health. The fact is that our body is very compensatory, that is, it is capable of self-restoration of full functioning even after the removal of some organs, if they are not vital. Removal of the gallbladder does not entail a reduction in life or loss of performance. Thousands of people who have gone through this operation soon simply forget about it, remembering only when they see a barely noticeable trace of a micro-incision or puncture on their stomach.

Life after removal of the gallbladder is divided into 2 periods - preoperative and postoperative. Before the cholecystectomy, the person must have experienced suffering associated with pain and regular attacks, doubted the need for surgical manipulations.

But the procedure is over, the organ was removed. Ahead is rehabilitation and a new way of life, quite complete, but still different from what it was before.

The main goal becomes - to adapt to the changes that occur with the processes of digestion .

The gallbladder is a hollow organ that stores bile from the liver and releases it under the action of hormones into the small intestine. It is connected with the liver, stomach and pancreas through the bile ducts. The bubble has an elongated shape and can hold up to 70 cm 3 of bile.

He is actively involved in the digestive processes, releasing a portion of bile every time a person consumes food. But chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis limit the functions of the organ. Gradually, compensatory mechanisms develop, and the gallbladder "turns off" from vigorous activity.

Under such conditions, the absence of a gallbladder is not regarded by the body as a shock and a serious blow, because it has already managed to adapt to poor performance.

At the same time, the liver works in the same mode and the volume of bile production does not decrease.. Only now it does not thicken and is not stored in a certain reservoir, but directly enters the duodenum and pancreas through the ducts.

Relation to the operation

Surgery to remove the gallbladder has its pros and cons. On the one hand, one organ with its important functions is completely removed from the biliary system. On the other hand, this organ no longer does its job and serves as a source of inflammation, a breeding ground for pathological microorganisms. With the removal of the gallbladder, the focus of infection is also eliminated, and the body gets used to working in new conditions.

Many unpleasant medical manipulations and procedures that the patient had to endure before the operation are no longer needed. The person is relieved.

The successful outcome of the operation contributes to the timely decision to remove. In this case, the patient will bypass such unpleasant consequences as complications and a long period of rehabilitation.

If such a decision is delayed, inflammatory processes begin to spread to other organs, which negatively affects the entire digestive system. Concomitant diseases develop: gastritis, colitis, peptic ulcer, pancreatitis.

An urgent operation performed against the background of complications requires a long recovery and additional medical treatment after discharge. But compliance with all requirements allows you to return to normal life. If, after removal of the pancreas, for example, a person is assigned a disability, then without a gallbladder, you can live a full life.

One of the main requirements that doctors put before patients after surgery is dietary compliance. It is based on the rejection of a number of products and the rules of food consumption during the day.

Dangers after surgery

The work of the liver to produce bile continues as before and without the gallbladder. At the same time, the composition of bile produced by the body does not change. If the stone-forming ability of bile was high, it is retained later. The physiological norms of the produced bile may also change, which means that its pressure on the walls of the bile ducts will increase.

With excessive pressure, bile is perceived by the mucous membrane of the intestines and stomach as a toxic liquid. If the duration of the negative impact becomes regular and prolonged, the structures of organs can change, which is fraught with the development of diseases, including the formation of tumors.

In connection with the circumstances in the period after removal, it is important to periodically examine the bile for biochemical composition. And also to control the condition of the duodenum with the help of a duodenal examination. In this case, you should not hope for an ultrasound examination, since ultrasound is not able to show the real picture.

A high ability to form stones is determined by the following analysis: the selected bile is placed in a refrigerator for 12 hours. If a precipitate forms during the period, the result is positive.

In this case, drugs are prescribed that stimulate bile formation and contain bile acids:

With diagnosed biliary insufficiency, drugs with ursodeoxycholic acid, which are harmless to the mucous membrane, are prescribed:

• Hepatosan;
• Ursofalk.

To exclude the formation of stones in the bile ducts, the consumption of foods that are a source of cholesterol is sharply reduced. These include fatty, fried foods, confectionery, bacon, sausages, fatty meats, egg yolk, rich broths.

The listed products, as well as alcohol, worsen the condition and complicate the work of the liver and pancreas.

Nutrition rules

During the period of postoperative rehabilitation, it is recommended to strictly adhere to the principles of dietary nutrition. One of the important points is frequent meals in small portions. You can determine the optimal number of servings by size - the volume of food should not exceed the size of your own fist.

Food, getting into the digestive tract in small portions, stimulates bile formation and excretion through the ducts into the intestines. To improve the process, you can consume foods and drinks with a choleretic effect. These include, for example, olive oil or infusions of certain herbs.

What should the patient eat immediately after the operation? The speed of recovery largely depends on the quality of nutrition. Nutritionists call the menu of the rehabilitation period "table number 5".

On the first day after removal, only liquid products are allowed:

• Diluted lean meat broth;
• Water without gas;
• Weak tea.

You can steam cutlets from chicken and lean meats, low-fat sea fish. From drinks, sour-milk products, jelly, dried fruit compotes are useful.

Subsequently, you can make the diet varied, but consume vegetable fats and butter in a limited way, and focus on easily digestible food. Eat more vegetables and fruits, give up dishes that increase gas formation and disrupt peristalsis (carbohydrate foods).

Very useful foods high in plant fibers, fiber (dried fruits, nuts, wholemeal bread, almost all vegetables, bran, legumes). They aid digestion and provide healthy stools.

Should be excluded from the diet:

When consuming forbidden foods, there is an increased secretion of bile, and since there is no place to store it, this leads to stagnation in the ducts, metabolic problems, and impaired motility in the biliary tract.

Sufficient consumption of clean water can reduce the concentration of bile. Herbal teas and decoctions are good as drinks.

Recommendations for the regime of the day and physical activity

How to live when the gallbladder is removed? Immediately after the operation, physical rest is recommended, no stress. You can not unnecessarily strain the abdominal press, carry weights. After a month, you can moderately begin to engage in physical education: walking, cycling, swimming, fitness.

Sports exercises will help tissues recover faster, strengthen muscles. Special tiring exercises for the press should be avoided. In full force, they can be performed only a few months after medical manipulations. Owners of personal plots should refuse to dig beds for the entire period of rehabilitation.

Specialists in physiotherapy exercises emphasize the benefits of water procedures. This is a complex effect of water on the skin and abdominal muscles. In summer, you can regularly visit open water bodies, and in winter - swimming pools. Spa treatment has a positive effect on the speed of rehabilitation.

Pregnancy without a gallbladder

Many women are interested in whether it is possible to give birth without a gallbladder. With healthy habits and the right attitude to nutrition, the absence of an organ does not adversely affect the work of other organs and systems. Therefore, there are no contraindications for pregnancy and natural childbirth.

However, with a rapid weight gain of a pregnant woman, some malfunction of the digestive system is possible. Therefore, the entire period of gestation is recommended to strictly observe the rules of food intake and the principles of dietary nutrition.

It is noted that in pregnant women without a gallbladder, toxicosis is more often observed.

Cholagogue herbs after surgery

Cholagogues and hepatoprotectors that stabilize the liver should be prescribed by a doctor. They reduce discomfort and help maintain good health. To improve digestion and enhance excretory functions, you can use safe traditional medicine recipes.

Cholagogue herbs are no less effective than drugs. But the reception also requires expert advice. Plants have a more prophylactic effect. Therefore, they should be drunk in long courses 2-3 times a year. The composition of herbal preparations needs to be changed from time to time.

Coltsfoot

The medicinal raw material is the leaf. It is harvested in the spring and dried in the open air. The leaves contain mucus, which has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. The plant also has an enveloping and softening effect, prevents the development of inflammatory processes.

Buds and birch leaf

Decoctions and infusions are prepared from them, and then used as a bactericidal, diuretic, wound healing agent. Especially effective during the rehabilitation period.

Rose hip

It has a choleretic effect, improves metabolic processes, nourishes with a complex of vitamins. The bactericidal and antioxidant properties of wild rose are especially valued. Prepare decoctions, syrups, extracts. It has a general strengthening effect.

Immortelle

Regulates bile formation and bile secretion, has antibacterial activity, acts as an antispasmodic. Used for gastritis, colitis, gastrointestinal diseases. Improves the condition of the bile ducts. Prevents nausea and vomiting.

Corn silk

Harvested in summer and autumn, when the corn is ripe. Air dry, spreading in a thin layer. choleretic and diuretic. Treat liver diseases. The extract is effective in hepatitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis.

The listed plants can be taken separately and in combination with chamomile, barberry berries, calendula, St. John's wort, valerian root, wormwood leaves.

Pharmacy chains sell ready-made products based on plant extracts:

• Holosas from wild rose;
• Flamin from immortelle;
• Berberis from barberry;
• Urolesan and from herbal mixture.

To improve the general condition, in addition to plain water, you can drink mineral water, after getting rid of gases.

It is important in the postoperative period to make efforts to raise immunity, to engage in physiotherapy exercises, to use methods of physiotherapy. For example, ozone therapy protects the body from bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other pathological organisms, improves the functions of the liver and liver structures.

Judging by the fact that you are now reading these lines, victory in the fight against liver diseases is not on your side yet ...

Have you thought about surgery yet? It is understandable, because the liver is a very important organ, and its proper functioning is the key to health and well-being. Nausea and vomiting, yellowish skin tone, bitterness in the mouth and bad smell, dark urine and diarrhea... All these symptoms are familiar to you firsthand.

But perhaps it is more correct to treat not the consequence, but the cause? We recommend reading the story of Olga Krichevskaya, how she cured her liver...

How to live after gallbladder removal? The human liver continues to produce bile, however, there is no longer a place to store and concentrate it. Therefore, bile constantly and slowly flows into the intestines. When eating fatty foods, this amount of bile is not enough, so the food is poorly absorbed. Because of this, many people suffer from diarrhea, bloating, nausea, and indigestion after cholecystectomy.

Poor absorption of fats is accompanied by a lack of essential fatty acids in the body, including omega-3 and omega-6 acids. The absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D, and K is impaired. Many of the antioxidants found in vegetables are also fat-soluble—lycopene, lutein, and carotenoids. With an insufficient amount of bile, the absorption of all these substances is impaired.

Pain after cholecystectomy

Immediately after waking up from anesthesia, a person feels pain at the site of surgery. Unpleasant sensations are localized mainly in the region of the right hypochondrium, in some patients the stitches are sore.

During the operation, carbon dioxide is injected into the peritoneum to expand the view of doctors and facilitate access to organs. Because of this, in the postoperative period, pain over the collarbones may be felt, do not be afraid of this.

The first few days after the cholecystectomy, the medical staff administers the necessary doses of pain medication prescribed by the attending physician. The medicine relieves discomfort and gives the body time to recover from the resulting stress. Over time, the intensity of pain decreases (inflammation of the tissues is removed), and the need for the introduction of painkillers disappears.

Within one and a half months after removal of the gallbladder, moderate periodic pains in the right side are possible - this is how the postoperative period manifests itself. Such sensations indicate the ongoing adaptation of the human body to the changed conditions of its functioning.

However, you do not need to live after the operation and endure severe abdominal pain with nausea, occasional vomiting and fever. You should immediately consult a surgeon, as these signs may indicate a malfunction in the work of other internal organs of the patient.

First days after surgery

The duration of recovery of the body after removal of the gallbladder depends on the method of operation. With laparoscopic cholecystectomy, this period is shorter than with open intervention. If the gallbladder was removed in a minimally invasive way, the normalization of a person's condition occurs in about 2 weeks. After open surgery, this period takes about 6-8 weeks.

The first few days after cholecystectomy, patients are in a medical institution.

During this period, they may be concerned about:

• Pain in the postoperative wound. It usually starts to improve within a few days. Painkillers help reduce it.
• Nausea. May develop due to the action of anesthetics or painkillers, quickly passes.
• Pain in the abdomen and shoulders. Most often it is a consequence of pumping gas into the abdominal cavity during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It goes away within a few days, relieved by taking painkillers.
• Bloating, flatulence and diarrhea. May last several weeks. The right diet helps to alleviate them.
• Fatigue, mood swings and irritability. Disappear as they recover.

All these sensations are absolutely normal consequences of the operation to remove the gallbladder, they quickly disappear and do not affect the future life of a person.

Since after the operation, patients have wounds and stitches on the skin, you need to be very careful with them in the first days. You can not wet them and injure them. Showering is allowed 48 hours after the operation, then the wound must be gently dried. If doctors forbid watering the wound, you need to wait until the stitches are removed or use special dressings that protect it from water. The sutures are removed 8-10 days after surgery.

Sometimes the wound is sutured with threads that dissolve in the body within 1-2 weeks. In this case, the stitches do not need to be removed.

Liver after cholecystectomy

If the postoperative period proceeds normally and without complications, the liver continues to function as before: it secretes a bile secretion, which, contrary to the patient's fears, does not stagnate strongly in the intrahepatic bile ducts.

After removal of the gallbladder, you can live calmly and not worry about the state of the liver: the bile that forms there calmly flows from it into the intestinal lumen, where it performs its direct function - digests fats.

In a small percentage of patients who have undergone surgery, at the beginning of the postoperative period, bile still stagnates in the ducts inside the liver (cholestasis). This is manifested by moderate pain in the right side and certain indicators of a biochemical blood test (increased levels of bilirubin and liver enzymes). In this situation, choleretic drugs (choleretics) are prescribed to protect the suffering liver cells.

Over time, the state of the liver returns to normal, and the intrahepatic ducts adapt to their new quality and become storage facilities for excess bile in the body. And this happens now without harm to the human body.

Diet

On the second day after surgery, patients are usually allowed to drink clear liquids. This helps to avoid dehydration and prevent the development of constipation caused by the use of painkillers. Clear liquids include broth (low fat), tea, and water.

On the third day after the operation, you can add vegetable and fruit juices, applesauce, soups and fat-free kefir to the diet. Then you can gradually expand the diet, trying to avoid foods high in fat.

If the life of a person without a gallbladder is complicated by bloating and diarrhea, the following tips may be useful to him:

• You need to eat in small portions and more often. This will ensure better mixing of food with bile.
• A healthy diet should consist of small amounts of lean meats (such as poultry or fish), low-fat dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
• You need to increase the amount of fiber in your diet. This may help normalize the stool. It is better to eat foods rich in soluble fiber - from oats and barley. However, you need to increase your fiber intake gradually and slowly over several weeks, as too much of it can cause gas and stomach cramps.
• It is best to limit your fat intake. Fatty and fried foods should be avoided for at least 1 week after surgery.

In addition, some people have to limit their intake of caffeinated and very sugary foods after surgery. Caffeine has a stimulating effect on the body and intestines, so it can cause diarrhea.

It is a good idea to keep a food diary after surgery, which should note the relationship of food consumed with the onset of symptoms of indigestion. This will allow you to identify the food that worsens the condition, and refuse it.

Most people can return to their normal diet within a few weeks after a cholecystectomy, however, for some patients life without a gallbladder is difficult for several months or even years.

Relief of the condition with alternative methods

Life after gallbladder removal involves supporting the functioning of the liver to help remove toxins from it. Certain herbs can do this:

• Curly sorrel root. It is a natural blood purifier that helps the liver increase bile production. In addition, it acts on the small intestine, stimulating the rapid elimination of toxins from the body. However, its use may cause side effects, including vomiting and diarrhea.
• Green tea. Contains a large amount of catechins - compounds that have antioxidant properties that support liver function. However, drinking too much green tea can cause allergies, red blood cell destruction, nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia.
• Turmeric. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that protect the liver from the effects of various toxins.
• Milk thistle. One of the most popular plants for liver diseases, which helps cleanse and protect the liver from toxins, stimulates the production of bile.

It should be remembered that folk remedies, like any medication, can lead to the development of side effects, so you should definitely consult a doctor before using them.

Activities after gallbladder removal

Get out of bed and walk the next day after surgery, this helps prevent blood clots in the lower extremities. Then the patient needs to gradually increase the load. It usually takes 1-3 weeks to return to preoperative physical activity, depending on the method of surgery and the person's health.

For 4-8 weeks, you can not lift anything heavier than 5-7 kg, you should also avoid any intense exercise, including sports. You can do light housework, short walks are allowed. Bathing, swimming and visiting the sauna or steam bath is not allowed until the doctor allows it.

You can return to physically non-hard work a week after the operation. Sexual activity can be restored after 14 days.

Constipation after surgery

Cholecystectomy itself does not lead to constipation, but reducing the amount of food eaten and the lack of a large amount of fibrous food exacerbates the problem of bowel movement.

The first thing that comes to mind is an enema. Indeed, it can be done and it is quite effective, but the systematic resort to this method of self-help will only lead to an even greater aggravation of the problem. It has long been proven that with regularly produced enemas, the body begins to “lazy” and is no longer able to empty itself. In addition, frequent enemas threaten the death of microflora and the development of intestinal dysbacteriosis.

Doctors consider a period of 5 days to be a safe time interval.

Pregnancy without a gallbladder

After cholecystectomy, a woman can safely become pregnant and give birth. However, it is reasonable to conceive a child after a complete recovery of the body from the surgical intervention.

Moreover, there is an opinion that women who have symptoms of gallstone disease and want to have children in the future should have their gallbladder removed before conception, since pregnancy worsens the course of this disease.

Is alcohol allowed?

In the early postoperative period, the use of alcoholic beverages is contraindicated, as they are incompatible with taking painkillers. It is rational to refrain from drinking alcohol until the body is fully restored and good nutrition is resumed.

Normally, the liver absorbs alcohol and releases certain products of its metabolism into bile, which is excreted into the intestines. Once the gall is removed, these substances enter the intestines immediately and can cause digestive symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. That is why many patients after cholecystectomy have reduced tolerance to alcohol.

In any case, the abuse of alcohol is harmful to all people, including those who have undergone gallbladder surgery.

Are there any benefits to gallbladder removal?

Despite everything described, life without a gallbladder has its pros and cons. Do not forget that cholecystectomy is performed for people who suffer from various, and sometimes life-threatening diseases. With the help of this operation, most patients manage to get rid of the symptoms of cholelithiasis, acute and chronic cholecystitis, which will progress without surgical intervention and can lead to dangerous complications.

The diet in the postoperative period for patients after cholecystectomy differs from other diets in that your health depends on its strict adherence. By correctly observing the above diet, you will soon be able to return to your normal lifestyle, with only some lifelong restrictions in your diet.

How to live without a gallbladder? Most patients who have undergone cholecystectomy live a full and active life, not limiting themselves either in nutrition or in physical activity. Considering the amount of suffering this operation relieves of people, the advantages of eliminating them outweigh almost all the disadvantages of living without a gallbladder. Only a small number of patients may develop complications that seriously affect the quality of life.

Very often, people who are offered cholecystectomy experience anxiety, not knowing how their life will change after the operation, what complications await, how long you can live after. The number and quality of years lived after surgery depend on the general state of health, the presence of concomitant pathologies - liver disease, biliary insufficiency, obesity, that is, the reasons that eventually led to gallbladder surgery. Of considerable importance is the way of life and character traits, a tendency to alcohol, overeating.

The fact of the absence of the gallbladder does not directly affect life expectancy, since the organ is not considered vital.

Some people live without a gallbladder from birth because it hasn't formed at all. A person who had their gallbladder removed at a young age is quite capable of living to a ripe old age.

It should not be forgotten that such an operation is not carried out without good reason. The removed diseased gallbladder cannot perform its functions properly, which has an extremely negative effect on the digestive system as a whole. Life with such an organ is in any case incomplete, as it depends on ongoing medical examinations and procedures, is filled with all sorts of restrictions and a constant fear of recurrence of attacks. Finally, there are emergency indications in which delay can lead to death or disability.

Making a choice in favor of the operation, the patient solves many problems cardinally. Of course, any surgical intervention brings not only positive changes, but also certain difficulties. Several conditions affect the outcome of cholecystectomy and subsequent life:

• preoperative physical condition;
• patient's age;
• accompanying illnesses;
• professionalism of the surgeon;
• rehabilitation and replacement therapy;
• lifestyle before and after surgery.

The body has a mechanism that compensates for the lost functions of lost organs. It takes time for it to take full effect.

The postoperative period of adaptation to new conditions of existence without a gallbladder lasts from several months to several years. On average, it takes about a year to fully restore health.

What can happen after surgery

It is most difficult to endure the first weeks after the operation. Even the sparing and low-traumatic method of laparoscopy shocks the body - pains, including phantom pains, spasms, and nausea torment. Most of those operated on suffer from manifestations of postcholecystectomy syndrome. The bile produced by the liver no longer has a reservoir for storage, randomly fills the ducts and enters the intestines not periodically, after eating, as before, but constantly. Due to the aggressive effects of bile acids, an exacerbation of existing chronic diseases is likely - pancreatitis, gastritis, enterocolitis.

Bile after removal of the gallbladder breaks down fats worse and cannot cope with large volumes of food. Most of the undigested fats enter the intestines, causing bouts of diarrhea. As a result, the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, especially A and D, worsens, which can subsequently affect cartilage and bone tissue, skin, and vision. Violation of carbohydrate metabolism increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

If the cause of the operation was cholelithiasis due to the tendency of bile to stone formation, its pathological properties persist after the operation. This means a high risk of recurrence of the disease in the future - deposits of stones in the intrahepatic and common bile ducts. Without correction of nutrition and ignoring medications that reduce the lithogenicity of bile, the process may lead to the need for a second operation after a few months.

There are violations of the functions of the sphincter of Oddi - a muscular valve that regulates the flow of bile into the small intestine. If earlier it worked synchronously with the gallbladder, then after removal of the organ, a spasm or weakening of the valves can be observed, which exacerbates problems with the intestines. The patient, waiting for relief, after the removal of the bladder, again suffers from pain, indigestion, and begins to repent of having decided on the operation. In some cases, if the work of the sphincter of Oddi cannot be corrected with medication, an excising operation may be prescribed.

How to live without a gallbladder

During the rehabilitation period, when unwanted symptoms appear, patience is necessary, as well as following the instructions of the attending physician, who will prescribe medications to regulate bile secretion, improve digestion, and relieve pain.

A strict diet is indicated in the first month after surgery. Not only the composition of the diet is important, but also the consistency, method of preparation, temperature of the dishes, as well as the volume and frequency of meals. Fatty meat, lard, sausages, animal fats, and any synthetic food are excluded from the list of allowed foods. You need to forget about smoked meats, fried. Alcohol is strictly prohibited. Preference is given to mashed boiled food - vegetable soups and mashed potatoes, cereals, fruit jelly, jelly.

Dietary restrictions are important, since the body after the operation has to process a fairly large number of medications - the filtering functions of the liver and kidneys must be maintained, avoiding excessive load.

Over time, the list of allowed foods can be expanded, the menu should include raw and thermally processed fruits and vegetables, cottage cheese, puddings and cereal casseroles.

The problem of constipation is one of many that haunt those operated on for the gallbladder. To maintain proper intestinal motility, fiber and a sufficient amount of fluid are needed.

The fragmentation of nutrition, the exclusion of heavy fats, sweet muffins, alcohol-containing drinks - these restrictions must be observed throughout life. You can’t smoke either - toxic compounds inhaled with tobacco smoke will inevitably affect the functioning of the liver.

Retains its importance taking medications. Choleretics (Allochol, Cholenzim, Liobil) are taken to improve the composition of bile, correct its separation. In addition, drugs are prescribed to normalize the secretory activity of the stomach, pancreas, probiotic preparations to prevent dysbacteriosis and prevent constipation and diarrhea.

Pain symptoms are relieved with the help of antispasmodics: Drotaverine, Papaverine, Spasmalgon.

Ursodeoxycholic acid, which is responsible for the balanced composition of bile, reduces its lithogenicity, and suppresses the synthesis of cholesterol, is necessary for operated patients to prevent recurrence of stone formation in the bile ducts, cholangitis. Drugs such as Ursosan or Ursofalk should be taken within three or four months of the postoperative period.

Physical activity is another necessary condition for successful recovery. In the first weeks after the operation, the only possible activity is walking. After a few months, you can begin to engage more seriously - perform simple physical complexes, swim. Regular feasible loads will steadily help strengthen muscles, stabilize the work of the respiratory and vascular systems, and regulate metabolic processes. All this will have a beneficial effect on the state of internal organs, increase the body's resistance to the effects of pathogens.

It is undesirable to plan the conception of a child during the recovery period after surgery. Between the removal of the gallbladder and the onset of pregnancy should be at least a year. Before a serious additional load, all systems and organs need to prepare. In general, the absence of a gallbladder is not a risk when carrying a child.

The above recommendations and restrictions may seem extremely strict. For some, it is not easy to get used to the idea of ​​numerous bans, the temptation is great to return to old habits: occasional drinking, smoking, snacking on fast food and pies. Not everyone is faced with the described postoperative difficulties. On average, 70% of patients after cholecystectomy recover without any complications. However, no disease disappears without a trace.

It is quite difficult for the body to live without a gallbladder - the internal organs become more vulnerable, as they are forced to work with a greater load. It is necessary to remember the risk of complications and the value of the acquired physical well-being.