In the article, we will look at how rehabilitation goes after gallbladder removal.
The question that worries the patient is how to live on, what can and cannot be done during rehabilitation. For such patients, the recovery period begins after the operation. The patient will be forced to adapt to atypical circumstances, and he will have to learn to live without this organ. The weak digestive system after surgery is attacked by various bacteria that previously died on contact with bile.
Recovery after gallbladder removal is very important.
Post-operative period
Any invasive procedure is always a huge stress for the patient, so the rehabilitation period will notvery light and simple. Recovery will be faster if the operation was performed in a gentle way, that is, through laparoscopy. This minimally invasive technique is less traumatic than a midline laparotomy and helps to avoid serious consequences.
First of all, the patient must take into account that after the removal of the bile, the body will continue to function as before. The liver, as before, will be allocated bile. It's just that now it will not accumulate in the bile until the onset of the active digestive phase, but will continuously drain through the bile duct to the duodenal region. It is in connection with this that the patient will have to adhere to a special diet, which should help protect the digestive system from constant bile secretion.
How long rehabilitation after removal of the gallbladder lasts is interesting to many. A special diet is prescribed only in the first thirty days. In the future, it can gradually expand and supplement. After a few months, the patient will be able to eat almost everything. But still, you should not get carried away with fatty and spicy dishes. And if possible, you need to completely exclude them from your diet.
Such a patient will need at least one year to learn how to do without this organ. During this period, its main function of accumulating bile will be performed by the bile duct and channels inside the liver, thanks to which the need for a strict diet will completely disappear over time.
So, what is the rehabilitation after gallbladder removal?
Rules
The patient will need to follow certain rehabilitation rules:
- Compliance with a sparing diet and a strict diet. The patient will be assigned table number 5 along with a fractional meal at least six times a day.
- Engaging in moderate physical activity. Special exercises are recommended to strengthen the anterior wall of the abdomen. You can do this gymnastics at home. Patients who are overweight will benefit from group classes under the strict supervision of an instructor.
- Drug treatment. Special therapy will help the patient to establish a life without gallstones. But only a doctor has the right to prescribe the required drugs.
What is the rehabilitation period after removal of the gallbladder? Recovery doesn't take too long. It does not require a radical change in lifestyle. It is only necessary to strictly follow all doctor's prescriptions in order to minimize the risks of complications. In the process of long-term rehabilitation, the patient should undergo regular medical examinations. If necessary, the doctor will certainly prescribe additional therapy and give the right recommendations for rehabilitation after gallbladder removal.
Initial rehabilitation
Immediately after the operation, the patient has questions about the recovery process. For example, such patients are interested in how long the stay in the hospital will take, what they can eat when the doctor allows them to return to normal life. The first days the patient, as a rule, spends in a hospital. It is under these conditions that the main recovery process is laid. The patient is informed about all the recommendations that are necessary for implementation during the rehabilitation period. Depending on the type of invasive intervention, the inpatient therapeutic period can last from two to seven days.
Rehabilitation after removal of the gallbladder by laparoscopy takes less time. Elective surgery is done by laparoscopy. Only in emergency situations, when the patient's life is in danger, a median laparotomy is used. Open surgery requires patients to stay longer in the hospital. It is thanks to laparoscopy, as a minimally invasive method, that the postoperative period is significantly reduced.
Such an intervention has an undeniable advantage over the abdominal method, namely:
- Intensive care after surgery can take up to two hours.
- A small wound heals quickly.
- The period of hospital stay is significantly reduced.
- The patient will not require prolonged bed rest.
- Complications after such an operation are insignificant.
- Sick people quickly return to their usual way of life, continuing to live without gallstones.
Stationary events
Let's take a closer look at how rehabilitation works after removal of the gallbladder by laparoscopy.
After minimally invasive laparoscopy, the patient is moved from the operating room to the intensive care unit. There he stays for a couple of hours after the removal of the bile to control the exit from anesthesia. In the event that unforeseen complications occur during this period, the length of stay in the ward may be extended. Next, the patient is sent to the general ward, where he will stay until discharge.
For six hours after the minimally invasive procedures, the patient will be prohibited from drinking and getting out of bed. Only the next day you can drink plain water in small quantities. This will have to be done fractionally, two sips every half hour.
During the rehabilitation period after removal of the gallbladder by laparoscopy, it is necessary to get out of bed slowly, without sudden movement, while doing this in the presence of a nurse. The next day, the patient is allowed to eat liquid food, and, in addition, move freely around the hospital. In the first seven days, it is strictly forbidden to drink coffee along with tea, fizzy drinks, sweets, alcohol, fatty and fried foods. It is allowed to include the following food options in the diet:
- Eating low-fat cottage cheese.
- Kefir along with unsweetened yogurt.
- Reception of oatmeal or buckwheat boiled in water.
- Eating non-acid baked apples, bananas and boiled vegetables, steamed lean meats.
It is required to exclude products from the diet,which cause flatulence along with an increased separation of bile, we are talking about onions, garlic, peas, black bread and so on. Within ten days after the operation, the patient is not recommended to perform difficult physical work, lift weights. In addition, you will need to wear natural underwear that will not irritate a fresh wound.
How long the rehabilitation lasts after removal of the gallbladder, not everyone knows. The postoperative period usually lasts from seven to eleven days. And immediately on the twelfth day, sutures are removed for patients (provided that there was a laparoscopy), then a sick leave certificate is issued with an extract from the card. In addition, the surgeon provides recommendations regarding the further organization of life without gallstones.
Sick leave
A disability certificate is given for the entire time a person is in a hospital and an additional twelve days of home rehabilitation. In the event that during this period the patient has complications, then the sick leave is extended. The total period of sick leave is determined for each patient individually.
At the end of the sick leave, it is recommended to undergo a preventive examination every six months. In the future, if everything goes well, then only once a year is allowed to visit the doctor.
How is the rehabilitation after the removal of the gallbladder by laparoscopy at home?
Home Recovery
Each patient must understand that the recovery period will be easier iffollow a diet. After returning home, the patient must register as an outpatient at the place of residence with the surgeon. It is this specialist who will monitor the he alth and condition of the patient, prescribing the required medication.
Regular visits to the doctor are required not only for those who need to close the sick leave. Complications may occur in the first days after laparoscopy. Their timely diagnosis and therapy will significantly speed up the healing process. The following areas and criteria for home recovery stand out:
- Keeping a proper and he althy lifestyle.
- Engaging in moderate physical activity.
- Strict adherence by the patient to the required diet.
- Medication and suture care.
The rehabilitation period after removal of the gallbladder at home is often quick and easy. The patient fully recovered after 6 months.
Expert Tips
For the best possible recovery period, follow these guidelines:
- Do not have sexual intercourse in the first month after the intervention.
- You need to follow the prescribed diet to avoid constipation.
- Visits to sports sections and fitness clubs must be postponed for at least a month.
- Six months after the operation, it is forbidden to lift weights (more than five kilograms in weight).
- Do not work hard for the first thirty days.
Otherwise, the rehabilitation period does not require compliance with any other conditions or rules. For quick healing of the wound, you need to visit a couple of sessions of physiotherapy. It would be nice to start taking vitamins for immunity after the operation. The operation to remove the gallbladder almost does not change the usual life. Already twenty-one days after laparoscopy, you can start working.
Diet
A month after discharge, doctors recommend eating liquid or pureed food. Little by little new dishes are added to the diet. But it is important to focus on the well-being of the patient. Vegetables are used only in boiled form.
After six months of rehabilitation, the diet can become complete. A menu based on the principles of proper nutrition should remain with the patient for the rest of his life. Only in rare cases are some violations in the diet allowed, but in no case should this become the norm. Expert advice regarding the table after gallbladder removal is based on the following nutritional principles:
- It is forbidden to eat fried, fatty and smoked.
- Pastries should be heavily restricted along with sweet, spicy, canned and s alty foods.
- Alcoholic drinks are completely banned, as well as coffee and tea.
In addition, you need to follow a few more elementary rules: immediately after dinner, you can’t bend down and it’s forbidden to lift weights, and you shouldn’t sleep on your stomach or left side. It is advisable to reduce weight for obese people.
Medication
After the operation to remove the gallbladder, rehabilitation is simple. Patients often require minimal treatment. There is usually little to no pain during home recovery, but in rare situations pain medication may be needed. In order to improve chemical parameters, the doctor may prescribe the drug Ursofalk. The use of any medications during rehabilitation at home should be done exclusively as directed by the surgeon.
Next, let's get acquainted with the reviews of people who underwent surgery to remove the gallbladder.
Reviews on rehabilitation after removal of the gallbladder from patients
People report that the part of the rehabilitation period that is endured in the hospital is quite difficult, even despite round-the-clock medical support.
As reported in the reviews, as part of home rehabilitation, patients begin to feel a little better. But the main inconvenience, according to patients, is the need to follow a strict diet, especially in the first few days.
In general, complete recovery from laparoscopy has been reported in humans from seven months to one year. No serious complications have been reported after the operation, but it is required to constantly follow a diet, excluding fatty and fried foods from the diet. Then no he alth problems should arise.
We looked at how the rehabilitation period goes after the removal of the gallbladder by laparoscopy.
