How to Eat After Gall Bladder Surgery

Gall bladder disease may not result in any symptoms for some people. There are people, however, who experience attacks. Typical symptoms may include excruciating abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, and back pain. When these symptoms appear, your doctor may have to study the possibility of gall bladder removal.

It is normal for a lot of us to think that things will be different after surgery. After all, an organ, a part of the body, has been removed. This may lead some people to look for a special diet after gall bladder removal. But before you think about special diets, you should first try to understand what happens to the body after the gall bladder is removed.

The Body After Surgery

Experts say that a long term after-surgery diet is not entirely necessary for most individuals. Although the gall bladder has been removed, the liver is still present. This means that bile production will proceed as usual. The only difference is that all of the bile produced will proceed directly to the intestine. In other words, there will no longer be any concentrated amount of bile that used to come from the gall bladder. This doesn’t mean that fats and fat soluble nutrients will no longer be processed. The amount of direct bile present will take care of metabolizing fat, but in some people, there may be slight problems.

It is possible that since there are no longer any concentrated amounts of bile, you may have a problem managing fat. Absorption of fat may not be at an optimum level which means there is more extra fat in the intestines. This could mean more water as well, which is the reason for soft stools. The extra bile that has nowhere to go for storage may also eventually find its way to the colon, where it can also hold water and is released with the stools.

It is important to note, however that not everyone will have bowel problems after gall bladder surgery. It is estimated that at least less than 25% of individuals who go through the procedure may experience diarrhea. It has been observed that loose bowel movement among some individuals after surgery may gradually improve after some time. Depending on your individual system, you may have to go through years of diarrhea before your digestion returns to normal.

What to Eat

In the past, doctors used to carefully prescribe what should and shouldn’t be eaten. Gall bladder disease and surgery, however, is now better understood. You may go on eating as usual. If you do have bowel problems, you may be asked by your doctor to maintain a temporary diet that is low in fat. Fat may be introduced gradually. Eating fiber rich foods is also often a good idea. Make sure that you check with your doctor first before adopting any form of special diet.

In any case, you should strive to eat a healthy diet. Whether or not your gall bladder has been removed, it is always a good idea to maintain a healthy diet. Keep away from foods that contain trans and saturated fats. Choose healthy fats like those in fish and vegetable based oils. A healthy diet should also contain more whole grains, vegetables and fruits.