What Are the Benefits of Removing My Gallbladder?

You’re tired of living in fear of a painful gallbladder attack, and you want to put an end to the problem, once and for all. That is the primary benefit of gallbladder removal surgery, which is one of the most common general surgeries in the United States — about 600,000 are performed each year.

The dedicated team of general surgeons at Rockwall Surgical Specialists has no small amount of expertise when it comes to cholecystectomy, which is the medical term for removing a gallbladder. In fact, if you’re struggling with gallbladder disease, this procedure is likely your best strategy moving forward. We explain why here.

Removing your gallbladder to relieve your pain

Let’s start with what has likely brought you to this blog — painful gallbladder attacks. Gallstones are diagnosed in about 1 million people each year in the US, and about 25% of these people will require gallbladder surgery.

When you have gallstones, the stones can shift around and block your biliary or pancreatic ducts, which can lead to a good deal of pain in your abdomen. When this condition occurs, called biliary colic, the most effective course of action is removing your gallbladder, which will immediately relieve your pain.

Other gallbladder issues can lead to pain, such as  infection and inflammation, and in each of these cases, removal may be the best solution.

Addressing gallbladder-related indigestion

Another reason why we perform gallbladder surgery is if issues in your gallbladder are leading to digestive problems, such as:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Heartburn
• Gas
• Pain after eating, which is called epigastric pain

These symptoms might stem from gallstones or an infection or inflammation in your gallbladder.

Gallbladder surgery — an easier road to recovery

If we determine that gallbladder surgery is the best option for easing your pain and improving digestion, we have two pieces of good news:

1. You can function perfectly well without your gallbladder
2. We use minimally invasive surgical techniques whenever possible

To remove your gallbladder, in most cases we only need to make small incisions and then we turn to laparoscopy to remove the small organ. With laparoscopy, we have a small camera and specialized tools that allow us get the job done with the least amount of collateral tissue damage. 

As a result of laparoscopy, your recovery after gallbladder surgery is much shorter — about two weeks — and there’s less risk for infection and reduced postoperative pain. 

To learn more about whether you’re a good candidate for gallbladder surgery, please contact us to schedule a consultation. We’re located in Rockwall, Rowlett, Greenville, Terrell, and Forney, Texas, for your convenience.