Recovery from gallbladder surgery is usually quick and has few complications. You can live without a gallbladder while making some changes to your diet or lifestyle.

Gallbladder removal surgery (cholecystectomy) is done when your gallbladder develops gallstones or sludge that keeps it from working properly.

Doctors can perform gallbladder removal surgery laparoscopically using several smaller incisions or through open surgery, which requires a large incision.

You can usually fully recover from a laparoscopic surgery within 2 to 6 weeks. But recovery from open surgery may take 4 to 8 weeks.

Read on to learn more about the recovery timeline for a gallbladder removal surgery, what to expect at different phases of your recovery, and how to properly take care of your surgical area to keep it clean and recover without complications.

If you have a laparoscopic gallbladder removal, you’ll have several smaller incisions on your abdomen. You should be able to go home from the hospital on the same day or the day following your surgery.

An open gallbladder removal requires a much larger incision across your abdomen. With an open surgery, you may need to stay in the hospital for 2 to 6 days.

For the first 2 weeks after gallbladder removal surgery, you may experience pain and discharge from your incisions.

You may also notice some side effects, including:

Dissolvable stitches will fall off during the first 2 weeks and leave a surgery scar.

Pain from a gallbladder removal surgery may be intense for a few days.

Take prescribed pain medication until the pain you feel is manageable without it.

Pain management also includes:

  • applying a cold compress to your incision sites to relieve pain and swelling
  • avoiding all strenuous activity
  • performing light, low impact activities like yoga and meditation to relieve pain and stress

Tips for proper wound care after a gallbladder removal surgery include:

  • changing bandages regularly
  • rinsing your incisions with soap and warm water between bandage changes
  • avoiding baths, pools, and hot tubs
  • removing gauze or bandages to shower 24 to 48 hours after surgery

You may experience more discomfort or pain when you eat fatty, greasy, or spicy foods.

Here are some tips to adjust your diet after gallbladder removal:

  • Eat low fat foods for at least a week after surgery.
  • Avoid fried or greasy foods that can trigger diarrhea.
  • Avoid rich or sugary foods.
  • Eat whole, minimally processed foods that are protein-rich, such as chicken and whole wheat foods.
  • Slowly increase the amount of soluble fiber you eat to bulk up your stools and prevent diarrhea.
  • Try a bland diet, such as the BRAT diet, or a mostly liquid diet to avoid triggering digestive issues.
  • Eat smaller portions for a few days to avoid digestive pain.
  • Avoid common triggers of digestive movement, such as caffeine or dairy.

Try to avoid all strenuous exercise for the first week after a laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. After the first week, you can try reintroducing more activities into your routine, including:

  • moderate exercises like walking
  • driving a car
  • having sex that doesn’t put pressure on your abdomen
  • going back to work, if you work in an office

You’ll usually have at least one follow-up appointment in the first couple of weeks after a laparoscopic gallbladder surgery.

If you don’t have any side effects or complications, you may not need more follow-up appointments.

Open gallbladder surgery has a much higher risk of long-lasting pain, side effects, and long-term complications. This means you may need two or more follow-up appointments over several months to make sure your incision is healing well and you don’t experience severe pain.

Here are some tips for what not to do following gallbladder surgery:

  • Do not perform exercises that use your abdominal muscles, such as biking, running, or lifting.
  • Avoid stressful environments or situations for a few days, including the workplace.
  • Do not eat raw foods that can increase your risk of infections.
  • Avoid alcohol, which can irritate your digestive tract.
  • Do not have sex for a few days.

Some possible signs of complications after gallbladder removal surgery include:

  • thick discharge or pus in your incisions
  • bleeding from your incisions that doesn’t stop
  • greenish discharge from your incisions
  • severe pain that can indicate bile duct injury
  • symptoms of anesthesia allergy, including anaphylaxis (life threatening airway closure)

Contact your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

How long does it take to recover from gallbladder removal surgery?

It takes about 6 to 8 weeks to recover from an open gallbladder removal surgery and less time to recover from laparoscopic surgery. There’s no difference in recovery time for males and females.

What hurts the most after gallbladder surgery?

The area around your incisions will usually hurt the most after gallbladder surgery. You may also have some abdominal and upper body pain from the gas that’s used to inflate your stomach during surgery.

How will my life change after gallbladder removal?

Most people don’t experience any major life changes after gallbladder removal surgery. You may need to make some adjustments to your diet to avoid pain or symptoms like diarrhea. Consider eating food with less fat and eating smaller portions.

Removing the gallbladder is often the safest way to reduce the intense pain and digestive issues that can happen when your gallbladder isn’t working well.