You may be thinking that “what happens if I skip gallstone surgery”. Then you are at the right place to know why you should not skip or avoid the gallstone surgery. You might never give a thought about the gallbladder unless you showed up the symptoms of gallstones. The gallbladder can cause some serious problems that may affect your daily activities.
How gallstones occur:
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ that stores bile [digestive juice]. Bile breaks down the food in your small intestine. If there is any defect or injury to your liver or gallbladder, bile can develop into fragments of crystal called gallstones. It is not clear what causes to form gallstones. However, some researchers believe that gallstones may result when:
- Too much cholesterol in bile: If the liver excretes too much cholesterol that bile can’t dissolve, the excess cholesterol may form into pieces of crystals and turn into stones.
- Excessive bilirubin: Bilirubin is a chemical produced when your body breaks down the red blood cells. In a few medical conditions like liver injury, liver cirrhosis, and blood disorders, your liver may generate excessive levels of bilirubin and can contribute to the formation of gallstones.
- Highly concentrated bile: Bile becomes concentrated if your gallbladder doesn’t empty. This concentrated bile can lead to gallstones in your gallbladder.
Why you should not avoid gallstone surgery:
If you have gallstones without any symptoms, then there is no need to undergo gallbladder surgery. But, if you have symptoms such as jaundice, indigestion, fever, bloating, sudden & sharp pain in the abdomen, and heartburn, it is recommended to undergo a gallbladder removal surgery to treat the gallstones and to avoid further complications.
Even though after symptoms of gallstones show up and still wanted to avoid the surgery, then the gallstones can become life-threatening and can cause severe complications like:
- Inflammation of gallbladder: If the gallstones are not treated and left without surgery, then they can lodge in your neck of the gallbladder and cause either infection or inflammation. This could result in severe and sudden pain, high fever, vomiting, and tenderness over teh abdomen.
- Blockage of the bile duct: Gallstones can block the bile ducts that carry bile from your gallbladder to your small intestine. If this happens, then you may notice severe pain, jaundice, and infection of bile ducts.
- Pancreatic duct blockage: Pancreatic duct is a tube that carries pancreatic juice from your pancreas and connects to the common bile duct. Untreated or unremoved gallstones can block your pancreatic duct and can cause pancreatitis [inflammation of the pancreas] along with intense and constant abdominal pain.
- Gallbladder cancer: If you have a history of gallstones and left untreated without any surgery, then you are at a higher risk of developing gallbladder cancer in the future. But the occurrence of gallbladder cancer is very rare.
To avoid serious and life-threatening complications, several doctors and surgeons aorunf=d teh world recommend you to undergo gallbladder removal surgery. Because gallbladder removal surgery is the most effective treatment in a majority of cases.
Remember, gallstones without symptoms may dissolve or flush out of the body over a while. But gallstones with symptoms will not dissolve and require a surgical intervention to treat.
Recovery time from Gallbladder Surgery:
If you undergo gallbladder removal surgery, then the recovery time may vary depending on the type of surgery performed and the health condition. In the case of laparoscopic surgery, you may get discharged from the hospital on the same day of the surgery. You can able to perform your daily activities within a week or two.
On the other hand, if you underwent open surgery, then you need to stay in the hospital for 3-5 days, and the recovery time may range between 6-8 weeks.
Laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery is more beneficial when compared with open surgery. Laparoscopic surgery helps you to recover faster as only a few small incisions are required.
Do not worry about gallbladder removal:
You can continue a normal life without a gallbladder. In the absence of the gallbladder, your liver still makes sufficient bile and will continuously drip into the intestine to digest the food. After the removal of the gallbladder, you should change the diet to lead a healthy life.
However, after the surgery, you may experience a few problems like diarrhea, bloating, nausea, and pain, etc. Over a few weeks, these problems will go away. If you notice any drink or food that triggers these symptoms, then you should avoid them and consult the doctor to have a proper diet plan. You more about get healthy glowing skin and stay beauty.
To be noted:
Several medical professionals around the world suggest undergoing gallbladder removal surgery is the only option to treat gallstones. Once the symptoms get noticed, then it is the right time to undergo gallbladder removal surgery. Because, either in severe and mild cases, symptoms of gallstones can be heeded sooner or later.