| The gallbladder is situated in the upper right side | | | | get prepared first. You must give up smoking and |
| of the abdomen, under the liver and above the | | | | lose some weight if you are overweight. Also, go |
| duodenum. Its function is to transport the bile | | | | to the family doctor and ask for a check up of |
| produced by the liver into the small intestine when | | | | your other affections. Inside the hospital other |
| needed. Bile is requested after eating because it is | | | | special tests might be performed but this depends |
| used in the process of digestion. Until then, the bile | | | | from hospital to hospital. Take your current |
| remains stocked inside the gallbladder. | | | | medication with you at the hospital but be careful |
| Sometimes stones can form inside the gallbladder | | | | to let the doctor know what pills you are taking |
| and if they block the bile passage pain, fever and | | | | before the surgery. Also, if you have no relatives |
| jaundice will install as a sign that something is | | | | talk to a friend to come with you at the hospital |
| wrong in the body. | | | | and to stay with you a few days after the |
| If the doctor thinks that the patient needs to be | | | | surgery. |
| operated he will tell you that there can be made a | | | | After the surgery if you had a laparoscopic |
| keyhole or an open surgery. The keyhole surgery | | | | procedure done, you might feel a little pain where |
| is quite frequently used but is not recommended | | | | the incisions have been made so be free to ask |
| for those who have scars from other | | | | for some tablets in order to reduce the pain. If |
| interventions, those who are pregnant and those | | | | you had an open surgery they your pain might be |
| who have a severe inflammation. The keyhole | | | | worse and the nurses will give you injections and |
| surgery is performed with the help of the | | | | after a few days they will give you tablets. Due |
| laparoscope. The surgeon will make three or four | | | | to the anesthetic you might be feeling confused, |
| small incisions inside the abdomen and through | | | | clumsy and forgetful during the first day after |
| those incisions will introduce the laparoscope's | | | | surgery. Try not to make any important decisions |
| instruments needed for surgery. One of the | | | | in this day. |
| laparoscope's instruments has attached an optic | | | | The nurses will also take care to change daily the |
| video camera which allows the medical team to | | | | wound dressings and at a point the doctor will |
| see what it is inside your abdomen. After that the | | | | remove the drain tubes attached to your |
| surgeon will find the gallbladder and will remove it | | | | abdomen. The wounds are free to being washed |
| with the help of the other laparoscopic | | | | with soap and water as soon as the dressings |
| instruments. This operation is known as | | | | have been removed. Feel free to ask for advices |
| cholecystectomy. The wounds will be closed | | | | from the nurses if you have questions regarding |
| afterwards and the patient will be able to leave | | | | cleaning the wounds. Also, when leaving the |
| the hospital after two days. | | | | hospital do not forget to ask for the sick notes |
| The open surgery is usually made if the | | | | and any additional certificates. |
| laparoscopic method is not suitable for the patient. | | | | After going home you might be feeling tired and |
| The surgeon will make a cut inside the abdomen | | | | will want to sleep for 2-3 times a day. This is |
| right under the right ribs in order to perform an | | | | quite normal and you will be able to return to your |
| open cholecystectomy. Then the gallbladder and | | | | usual level of activity only after one week in the |
| the gallstones will be taken out and the surgeon | | | | case of a keyhole surgery or after two months if |
| will use X-rays to see if there are any possible | | | | you have an open surgery. The wound has |
| gallstones inside the bile ducts and will remove | | | | stitches and you have to go to the hospital to |
| those too. After that the incision will be closed and | | | | remove them after a few days had passes since |
| the patient will remain hospitalized for at least 4 | | | | the surgery. |
| days. | | | | Regarding complications they occur quite rarely. If |
| Sometimes people want to think before taking a | | | | the wound has got infected this problem will be |
| surgery. This is a good thing because if you are | | | | solved with antibiotic drugs in a few weeks. |
| 70 years old this operation could endanger your | | | | Sometimes there are numb patches around the |
| life. Also you can try other methods of treatment | | | | wounded area but they will clear up in a month or |
| before going to the surgeon. Sometimes the | | | | so. |
| gallstones can be pulled out without removing the | | | | All you need is patience because you can not |
| gallbladder with the help of a flexible telescope the | | | | expect to be as good as new only after a few |
| patient will swallow. | | | | days had passes since surgery was done. |
| If you must have the surgery done you should | | | | |