What is cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder.
It is the most common method for treating symptomatic gallstones. Surgical options include the standard procedure, called laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and an older more invasive procedure, called open cholecystectomy.

A traditional open cholecystectomy is a major abdominal surgery in which the surgeon removes the gallbladder through a 5- to 7-inch incision. Patients usually remain in the hospital at least 2 to 3 days and may require several additional weeks to recover at home. This procedure will therefore leave a right-sided subcostal scar.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has now replaced open cholecystectomy as the first-choice of treatment for gallstones and inflammation of the gallbladder unless there are contraindications to the laparoscopic approach. This is because open surgery leaves the patient more prone to infection. Sometimes, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy will be converted to an open cholecystectomy for technical reasons or safety.
• The procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia
• The laparoscope is a long tube with lenses at one end that are connected by fiber optics to a small television camera at the other. The fiber optics also carries light into the abdomen from a special light source. This system allows the surgeon to see and operate within the abdomen
• The laparoscope and laparoscopic instruments with long handles are inserted through the incisions into the abdomen. The entire operation is then performed while viewing the organs magnified on a television screen

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Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid after Gallbladder Removal

After a cholecystecotmy, it is important to eat foods that will help support the liver, and minimize the workload of digestion. Healthy, unprocessed vegetable oils, particularly those rich in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax seed oil and hemp seed oil, should be consumed on a regular basis.

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Both of these nutritious oils are available in supplement form, or they can be used to make salad dressings; they should not be used as cooking oils. These oils, as well as other vegetable oils such as olive oil, help the body naturally eliminate unhealthy LDL cholesterol build-up. Being of a slippery nature, and liquid at room temperature (as opposed to saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature), unsaturated fatty acids slide through the body's pathways with ease, taking toxins and harmful build-up with them.

Lemon juice and vinegar are also helpful foods to eat after gallbladder removal. The acid helps to break down the fatty acids in digestive bile. Try mixing fresh lemon juice with two tablespoons olive oil in a glass of water. Drink this solution in the morning and in the evening.

A diet after gall bladder surgery should include fruits and vegetables, with raw, fresh, organic foods being the most beneficial. Eat plenty of avocados, beets, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, grapes, apples, berries, and artichokes. They will provide fiber, which the body needs to aid in digestion and help cleanse, as well as the nutrients that the body needs to restore itself after gallbladder removal surgery. Other beneficial foods to eat after a cholecystectomy are yogurt, fish, and cottage cheese. As time passes after the surgery, start introducing whole grains, eggs, and some poultry and low-fat milk.


There are a number of foods to avoid after gallbladder removal, the most important being red meat, which is high in difficult to digest animal protein and animal fat. Also minimize pork, poultry, dairy, chocolate, and refined carbohydrates. Choose foods without hydrogenated or trans fats - this means no margarine, and few processed foods. Fried foods, spicy foods, and soft drinks should be taken out of the diet after gallbladder surgery altogether.

A cholecystectomy may be effective in masking the symptoms of a bile imbalance, but the only way to return to a true state of well-being, and to prevent the formation of more stones is to choose a healthy diet.

See more about gallbladder disease:

• Gallbladder pictures
• Gallbladder surgery VIDEO
• Gallbladder cancer treatment
• Gallbladder diet

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