Digestive Problems After Gallbladder Surgery

Gallbladder surgery can cure gallstones and help relieve pain, but this procedure is not without risks. In addition to the more immediate post-surgical risks of bleeding, fever, and infection, having digestive problems is a potential risk after gallbladder surgery.
Gallbladder Removal Side Effects: Your Gallbladder and Digestion
A small, pear-shaped organ located under your liver, your gallbladder stores the bile that your liver produces. When your body needs it, the gallbladder squeezes the bile through tubes called bile ducts into your small intestine. Bile helps break down fats from meals.
But sometimes, the substances that comprise bile, including cholesterol, bile salts, and bilirubin, can build up too much and harden into gallstones. This is the most common reason for gallbladder removal.
However, your gallbladder is one organ you can live without, since an adequate amount of bile can flow out of your liver and through your bile ducts to the intestine without having to enter the gallbladder first. So most people do not have any problems eating or digesting food after having gallbladder removal surgery. But sometimes problems occur, and some gallbladder removal side effects can affect the way you eat and digest foods.
Gallbladder Removal Side Effects: Digestive Complications
While it is not the norm to experience digestive problems after gallbladder surgery, they can include:
Difficulty digesting fatty foods. Some people have a slightly more difficult time digesting fatty foods for the first month after surgery. Eating a low-fat diet may help. Temporary diarrhea. Because your gallbladder is no longer there to regulate the flow of bile, it will flow more constantly, but in smaller amounts, into your small intestine. This can lead to diarrhea for the first few days after surgery in many people. This side effect is most often temporary, and no treatment is needed. But if you have diarrhea that lasts for more than three days, call your doctor. Chronic diarrhea. Some people who did not previously have more than one bowel movement per day will find themselves having more frequent bowel movements after gallbladder removal. These can sometimes be loose and watery, and be accompanied by a sense of urgency. Recent studies have found that this can occur in up to 17 percent of people after gallbladder removal. Men younger than age 50, especially if they are obese, have the highest likelihood of long-term diarrhea after gallbladder surgery, but a significant number of people without those risk factors may also have diarrhea for months to years after surgery. Eating a low-fat diet may help lessen symptoms, and treatments with medications which bind the excess bile acids — which are thought to be the cause of this bothersome symptom — often alleviate the problem. Temporary constipation. Some people become constipated from the pain medications they take after gallbladder surgery. Eating a diet that is rich in fiber — beans, bran, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables — can help prevent and perhaps relieve constipation. Your surgeon may prescribe a stool softener to help you. Retained stone in a bile duct. In some cases, a gallstone will remain in your common bile duct after gallbladder surgery. This can block the flow of bile into your small intestine and result in pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and jaundice soon after surgery. You may need an additional procedure to remove gallstones that are retained in your common bile duct. Intestinal injury. Although it is rare, the instruments used during your gallbladder surgery could damage your intestines. Your doctor will take measures to minimize the risk of this complication during the surgery. If it occurs, you might experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Any post-surgical symptoms like this require immediate medical attention. It is important to call your doctor immediately if you are having digestive problems after gallbladder surgery, as they may be signs of serious complications. Even if he determines your symptoms do not require medical care, your doctor may be able to make suggestions to help you manage them.