what will happen?

Question

what will happen to you if u dont have a gallbladder? in a surgical operation (cholecystectomy) they will remove your gallbladder, will it shorten the span of your life? gallbladder secretes enzymes, if its gone, it there any real complications?help..

Answer 1

You'll live your life without a gall bladder, no big deal. Some people require enzymes in pill form afterwards, but most don't. I had a laproscopic cholecystectomy due to gall stones (after a week of pain and puking)... I felt sooooo much better after. The only problem I have is that if I eat anything too fatty or greasy I have to run to the bathroom fairly soon. Now I rarely eat those kinds of foods which is a good thing for my health.

My mother-in-law had her GB removed back in the 1960s. She's now 92.

With any surgery there are risks. If you're being told your's should come out, do it. Best of luck.

What are the complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

Complications may include bleeding, infection and injury to the duct (tube) that carries bile from your gallbladder to your stomach. Also, during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the intestines or major blood vessels may be injured when the instruments are inserted into the abdomen. All of these complications are rare.
http://www.medicinenet.com/cholecystectomy/article.htm

Answer 2

I had my gallbladder removed a year ago and feel 100% better. That first night was rough, pain wise, but just take the Rx on time and that should help. I think I was trying to space mine out.


Only a few times have I had "phantom gallbladder pains." They were strange, knowing it was gone. The reflux is MUCH better.

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The gallbladder is a sac that stores bile made by the liver in between meals. After a meal, the gallbladder squeezes the bile it has stored into the intestine. In the intestine, the bile mixes with food and fat. Bile is important because it helps with the digestion of fat and its transfer from the intestine into the body.

When the gallbladder is removed, bile made by the liver can no longer be stored between meals. Instead, the bile flows directly into the intestine anytime the liver produces it. Thus, there still is bile in the intestine to mix with food and fat. It is true that there is not as much bile, but there is enough to allow the digestion and transfer of fat. People who have had their gallbladders removed do not need to limit the fat in their diet.

The only clear side effect of removal of the gallbladder is diarrhea. This occurs in about 10% of patients. The diarrhea occurs because of the change in the way bile is delivered to the intestine once the gallbladder has been removed. Bile and the way it is delivered to the intestine appears to control the speed with which food passes through the intestine. Removing the gallbladder speeds up the passage of food and thereby may cause the diarrhea. There may be other reasons why the change in delivery of bile causes diarrhea as well.


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Removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy) should eliminate all gallstone-related symptoms except in three situations:

1. gallstones were left in the ducts,
2. there were problems with the bile ducts in addition to gallstones, and
3. the gallstones were and are not the cause of the symptoms.

The possibility of gallstones in the ducts can be pursued with MRCP, endoscopic ultrasound, and ERCP. There is only one problem with the ducts that can cause gallstone-like symptoms, and that is a rare condition called sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, discussed below.

The common bile duct has a muscular wall. The last several centimeters of the common bile duct's muscle immediately before the duct joins the duodenum comprise the sphincter of Oddi. The sphincter of Oddi controls the flow of bile. Since the pancreatic duct usually joins the common bile duct shortly before it enters the duodenum, the sphincter also controls the flow of fluid from the pancreatic duct. When the muscle of the sphincter tightens, it shuts off the flow of bile and pancreatic fluid. When it relaxes, bile and pancreatic fluid flow into the duodenum, for example, after a meal. The sphincter may become scarred, and the duct is narrowed by the scarring. (The cause of the scarring is unknown.) The sphincter also may go into spasm intermittently. In either case, the flow of bile and pancreatic fluid may intermittently stop abruptly, mimicking the effects of a gallstone, particularly causing biliary colic and pancreatitis. The diagnosis of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction can be difficult to make. The best diagnostic test requires an endoscopic procedure with the same type of endoscope as ERCP. Instead of filling the ducts with dye, however, the pressure within the sphincter is measured. If the pressure is abnormally high, scarring or spasm of the sphincter are likely. The treatment for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is sphincterotomy. (described previously). Measurement of liver and pancreatic enzymes in the blood also may be useful for diagnosing sphincter dysfunction.

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WHAT COMPLICATIONS CAN OCCUR?

While there are risks associated with any kind of operation, the vast majority of laparoscopic gallbladder patients experiences few or no complications and quickly return to normal activities. It is important to remember that before undergoing any type of surgery--whether laparoscopic or open you should ask your surgeon about his/her training and experience.

Complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy are infrequent, but include bleeding, infection, pneumonia, blood clots, or heart problems. Unintended injury to adjacent structures such as the common bile duct or small bowel may occur and may require another surgical procedure to repair it. Bile leakage into the abdomen from the tubular channels leading from the liver to the intestine may rarely occur.

Numerous medical studies show that the complication rate for laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is comparable to the complication rate for open gallbladder surgery when performed by a properly trained surgeon.

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As many as 20 percent of people who have surgery to remove their gallbladders (cholecystectomy) develop diarrhea. The diarrhea may last for many years. But it often improves over time — even without treatment.

My dad falls into this 20%. Luckily, I didn't have this result.

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Answer 3

I know many many people that have had their gall bladder removed, and no it does not and will not affect your life tremedously, neither will it decrease your life expectancy.

I do have to tell you though that some of the patients that i have come across that have had gall bladder surgery do report pain every now and then in that part of their abdomen due to scar tissue. Hopefully with todays minimilistic approach to surgery (keyhole surgery) This problem will be decreased maybe even innihalated. but you do not need to worry about your life expectancy being shortened or anything , there are no major complications.

I Hope This Has Helped You

The Neurosurgeon

Answer 4

Off of the top of my head:

The gall secreted from the gall bladder into the intestine helps breakup fats into smaller dropplets to aid in the absorption of fats from the diet. Your liver still makes gall however, it just is not stored up for meals.

You might be less tolerant of high fat meals and get nausea more easily from those meals.

Answer 5

Gall bladder only concentrates and retains bile secreted in liver. Its removal is not associated with any complications.