Recovery after keyhole gallbladder removal: stage by stage

The ranges come from NHS pages and a hospital leaflet, so they reflect common practice and not a promise. Someone who had an inflamed gallbladder or a conversion to open surgery will usually recover more slowly, as the NHS notes that open surgery brings more discomfort and a longer recovery.

The operation itself is covered on the linked gallbladder removal guide.

The NHS says to take painkillers because your wounds will be uncomfortable for several days. You may feel bloated, with pain at the tip of the shoulder from the gas used during the operation. The NHS recommends that a caregiver drives you home and stays with you for the first 24 hours.

Dressings are removed on your care team's instructions, which may be several days after surgery. Some stitches dissolve and some need removal at a scheduled visit, according to the NHS.

The NHS suggests a balanced, nutritious diet, with small, frequent meals easier at first. Without a gallbladder, bile drips continuously into the bowel instead of being stored, and the NHS describes post-cholecystectomy syndrome, meaning nausea, vomiting, indigestion, abdominal pain and diarrhoea that typically resolve quickly.

If very fatty food upsets you, reduce it for a while and reintroduce it slowly. Long-lasting diarrhoea or pain should be discussed with your GP.

The NHS recommends light activity first, building up gradually and avoiding strenuous exercise early on. Milton Keynes says heavy lifting should wait for 1 week, desk work can resume at about 2 weeks and manual work at about 4. The NHS says most people are back at work within 1 to 2 weeks, with physically demanding jobs needing longer.

For driving, the NHS says do not drive until you can do an emergency stop without any pain or discomfort, and check your insurance policy. Milton Keynes says not for at least 48 hours. GOV.UK adds that you must tell DVLA if you are still unable to drive 3 months after an operation, and to ask your doctor if you are unsure.

The NHS lists severe worsening pain, wound discharge, redness or swelling, jaundice, a swollen or tender leg and fever as reasons to seek urgent advice. Call 999 or go to A&E if leg pain or swelling comes with breathlessness or chest pain, which can suggest a clot in the lung.

Persistent nausea or vomiting, abdominal distension or yellowing of the skin or eyes, as the Milton Keynes leaflet adds, should be reported to your GP, NHS 111 or the ward the same day. These can point to a bile leak, retained stone or infection, which the NHS lists among the recognised risks.