How Should You Change Your Diet After Gallbladder Removal?

The gallbladder is an oval-shaped organ linked to your liver. It releases bile to the small intestine to break down food. After Cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal) surgery, many patients are left dubious about how they are meant to resume their normal diet and activity routine. In general, stones in the gallbladder happen to individuals who are over forty years of age, and women are more vulnerable. The activity level of a middle-aged individual slows typically down when compared to a 20-year-old. The metabolism level of a middle-aged normal man or woman is different and slower than a 20-year-old. If the surgery is performed on a middle-aged individual, the activity level will switch back to the same level as prior to the gallbladder removal. If the gallbladder removal surgery is performed by laparoscopy, the patients can resume their normal activities in 3-4 days. On the other hand, if open surgery methods are used in gallbladder removal surgery, the patients can then resume their normal activities in 2-3 weeks’ time after recovery. But this time frame can vary from person to person depending on how intense and severe the disease is, along with other medical conditions.

Beyond 40 years of age, some medical problems arise. The stomach can get irritated while the metabolism slows down. People who had gallbladder removal surgery need to realize that their upset stomach, in most cases, has nothing to do with the surgery.

Diet after Gallbladder Removal Surgery

• When the gallbladder is removed, there isn’t any room for the storage of the bile secreted by the liver. The bile produced now drains straight into the intestine. Hence one needs to avoid ingesting fatty food.
• As a general rule, an individual with no gallbladder should adopt a healthy lifestyle where they feed on smaller meals in frequent intervals. In fact, feeding on small portions is recommended for everyone. A healthy meal is composed of small amounts of lean protein, such as poultry, fish, or fat-free dairy, along with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
• The gastro surgeon who performed the gallbladder removal surgery is meant to prescribe you a specific diet for a few weeks after the surgery. After he/she gives the green light to go ahead, you can switch to the regular diet you are used to prior to the surgery. It is safer to increase the quantity of food gradually.
• Include fiber and plenty of water in your diet is beneficial overall. Most important, you should carefully watch what you eat.
• Check if you develop any digestion problem after having a specific food. If the same food is causing the same problem every time, it is, therefore, better to avoid it once for all.
• Avoid junks and fatty foods as much as you can. It is actually advised to discard those food items from your diet totally. After all, those are devoid of any nutritional value and will only contribute to weight gain.
• Generally, foods rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and dietary fat, all in smaller portions, are recommended after a gallbladder removal surgery.
• It is advisable to restrict and better to avoid alcohol intake severely.

Eating the wrong foods after gallbladder surgery can induce pain, bloating, and diarrhea.