Cholecystectomy in Turkey Causes, Symptoms, and Procedure
What is cholecystectomy?
Cholecystectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder-the small hollow organ that stores bile for your digestive system. Cholecystctomy surgery is a common treatment for many types of gallbladder diseases, because the disadvantages of cholecystectomy are usually less than those caused by the diseases it treats. You can live a healthy life without bitterness.
Is cholecystectomy a major surgery?
Cholecystectomy is a common procedure that is usually characterized by an easy recovery. It is also one of the first operations that it became routine to perform using minimally invasive surgical techniques.
These techniques, including laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery, use very small incisions of half an inch or less in size to reduce trauma, pain, and recovery time.
While an open operation requiring a larger incision may sometimes be necessary, laparoscopic resection is the most common today compared to open surgery.
Why is cholecystectomy performed?
You may need cholecystectomy surgery if gallbladder diseases:
- Affect the quality of your life.
- Pose significant risks to your health.
Unfortunately, this is the case with most conditions that can affect the gallbladder, including:
- Gallstone disease, which is the most common cause of cholecystectomy.
- Chronic cholecystitis.
- Gallbladder cancer.
While many people live with gallstones without problems, those who have problems tend to recur continuously. A gallstone that gets stuck anywhere in the bile duct can block the flow of bile, causing pain and illness.
A gallstone may obstruct the opening of the gallbladder, common bile duct, or pancreatic duct.
How to know if I need to remove the gallbladder?
The most common and well-known symptom of gallbladder disease is biliary colic. It is a pattern of pain in the biliary tract (usually in the right upper abdomen) that occurs in episodes, often accompanied by nausea.
Biliary colic is usually an early sign of biliary tract disease that is likely to worsen. When the bile flow stops completely, you will feel severe pain in the gallbladder that will not go away until you get medical care.
Other possible signs of gallbladder disease include:
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Abdominal swelling that is tender to the touch.
- Large polyps in the gallbladder that are detected via ultrasound.
If you have any of these signs or symptoms, your doctor will conduct the necessary tests to diagnose the cause. They will inform you if they recommend cholecystectomy for you.
How does cholecystectomy affect my body?
Cholecystctomy alters the structure of the bile duct, which affects how your digestive system functions.
Normally, the gallbladder stores extra bile until the small intestine needs it.
The gallbladder contracts to deliver extra bile when you eat a heavy meal that requires digestion. After gallbladder removal, bile will simply flow directly into the small intestine from the liver, where it is produced, without being stored first.
Most people experience a temporary adjustment period in their digestive systems after gallbladder removal. In the first month or so, you may have more difficulty digesting fats and heavy meals.
This condition should gradually improve over time. Most people can resume a normal, healthy diet after they recover. A small number of people may experience long-term digestive difficulties for unclear reasons.
Cholecystectomy Surgery
Different Types of Cholecystectomy Surgeries
If you need to have your gallbladder removed, you may undergo:
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- Robotic cholecystectomy
- Traditional open cholecystectomy
More than 90% of cholecystectomy surgeries today are performed laparoscopically. Surgeons often prefer this method because it is less invasive, causes less pain and bleeding, and leads to faster and easier recovery.
Robotic cholecystectomy is a type of laparoscopic cholecystectomy offered by some selected hospitals. In robotic surgery, the surgeon operates robotic instruments from a control unit.
Traditional open cholecystectomy is the conventional method of removing the gallbladder. This means the surgeon opens your abdomen by making a long incision to access the gallbladder.
Traditional open cholecystectomy is still a relatively simple and safe procedure, and in some cases, it may be safer. Surgeons sometimes need open access to deal with emergency or complex situations.
Why a surgeon may choose traditional cholecystectomy instead of laparoscopic cholecystectomy?
You may undergo a conventional cholecystectomy instead of laparoscopic cholecystectomy if:
- The operation would have been performed in a hospital that does not have endoscopic equipment.
- You will have an emergency operation and time is the decisive factor.
- You have a cardiopulmonary condition that makes the gas used for laparoscopic surgery unsafe.
- You have extensive scars from previous abdominal surgeries that obstruct vision.
- The surgeon suspects that the disease affects organs other than the gallbladder.
What happens before cholecystectomy?
Cholecystectomy is often an elective procedure, which means that you will perform it before it becomes urgently necessary.
Your healthcare provider will explain to you the nature of your condition and why they recommend the procedure, and you will have the opportunity to think about it, choose the date of the procedure and prepare for it. In other circumstances, cholecystectomy is an emergency procedure that is performed without much time in advance.
The medical team makes sure that you are in good condition for surgery. This may include blood tests and other general health checks. If you are not well enough for surgery, you may instead have an alternative procedure, such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy. You can perform a cholecystectomy later.
He explains to you the procedure and why it is needed. They will ask for your informed consent. They will tell you if they plan to have laparoscopic or traditional cholecystectomy, although sometimes this plan may change. An endoscopic procedure may sometimes need to be switched to open surgery.
Plan in advance if possible. If they manage to schedule the surgery in advance, they will ask you to prepare by not smoking, not eating, and not taking certain medications in the hours before. These preparations help prevent some complications of surgery and make surgery safer for you.
Preparing you for surgery. When you are ready for surgery, your team will install an intravenous line in your arm to deliver fluids and medications. You will receive general anesthesia for the procedure. Once you become unconscious, your team will install a breathing tube to help keep your airway open.
What happens during cholecystectomy?
During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the surgeon will do the following:
- Make a small incision, about 2 to 3 centimeters long, near the belly button.
- Make two to three additional incisions “keyholes”, about 1 centimeter long, in the right upper abdomen.
- Inserting a small tube into one of the smaller incisions and pumping carbon dioxide gas through it to inflate the abdomen. This helps to separate the abdominal walls from the organs.
- Insertion of the endoscope into the larger incision. The endoscope (a small illuminated camera) displays the images on a video monitor above the operating table.
- Using the video screen as a guide, narrow surgical instruments are inserted through the remaining incisions to remove the gallbladder.
- Removing gas from the abdomen and closing the incisions with stitches.
During a conventional cholecystectomy, the surgeon will do the following:
- Make one incision, about 4 to 6 inches long, under the right rib.
- Use surgical instruments to remove the gallbladder.
- Insertion of a surgical drain (Jackson Pratt bank) into the wound to drain excess fluid.
- Close the incision with stitches, keeping the drain in place.
How long does it take to remove the gallbladder?
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy usually takes about 60 to 90 minutes.
Traditional cholecystectomy takes about one to two hours.
The process may take longer if the surgeon needs to add additional steps to treat your condition. For example, they may add bile duct exploration to check for gallstones or other bile duct problems. In this way, they can treat these problems at the same time.
What happens after cholecystectomy?
After surgery, you will spend a few hours in the recovery room while you wake up from anesthesia. You will receive painkillers as needed.
If you have undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy, you may be able to go home the same day.
If you have undergone a conventional cholecystectomy, you will need to spend a few days in the hospital to recover. The drain may remain in place for a few days. In some cases, you may return home with the bank.
Benefits of cholecystectomy
Most gallstones form inside the gallbladder, so removing the gallbladder significantly reduces the likelihood of any new stones forming.
If gallstones have led you to the hospital once, you will probably do it again. Cholecystectomy is the only treatment that can reliably prevent this problem. Most people find it easier to have a planned operation than to expect that they will experience frequent emergencies due to gallstones.
Risks of cholecystectomy
There is always a small risk of complications during surgery. The general risks of surgery include:
- Infection
- Blood clots.
- Complications of anesthesia.
- Infection of nearby organs.
Specific risks of cholecystectomy include:
- Pancreatitis (irritation of the pancreas)
- Bile reflux (traces of leakage of bile into the stomach)
- Injury of nearby blood vessels, causing excessive bleeding.
- Injury of the bile duct, causing leakage of bile.
How long is the recovery from gallbladder removal surgery?
The recovery time from laparoscopic cholecystectomy takes about two weeks. While the recovery time from a conventional cholecystectomy takes about six to eight weeks. If you have a drain in your wound, the health care team will remove it at your next appointment.
Most people are able to return to work after one to two weeks. But if your work requires significant physical activity, you may need to adjust your routine until you fully recover.
Will I need to change my diet after cholecystectomy?
Health care providers recommend adjusting your diet during the recovery period for several reasons. The first reason is that surgery and general anesthesia can affect your digestive system.
The second reason is that removing the gallbladder constitutes a change in your digestive system. Your device will not get bile in the same way as before surgery, and it will need some time to adapt.
Health care providers recommend that you keep a simple and light diet at first, as you would if you had the flu. The effects of surgery and anesthesia can make it difficult to digest foods that contain a lot of fiber.
Changes in your biliary system may cause some temporary difficulties in digesting fats. Your health care provider will give you tips on how to gradually return to a more natural and healthy diet.
What are the side effects of gallbladder removal surgery
Most people experience short-term side effects during the recovery period. Such effects may include:
- Diarrhea: this may occur as your digestive system adapts to its new structure.
- Constipation: it can occur as a side effect of pain medication.
- Gas and gas pain: this is a side effect of the gas used in laparoscopic surgery.
- Nausea: it may be an effect of pain medication.
A health care provider can give tips on how to deal with these short-term conditions.
Long-term side effects
A small percentage of people experience symptoms that last longer after cholecystectomy. Health care providers refer to this phenomenon as postcholecystectomy syndrome. But these symptoms and their possible causes are diverse and do not describe one particular case. Postcholecystectomy syndrome is usually a temporary diagnosis until the caregiver can provide a more specific diagnosis.
Reported symptoms include:
- Infection.
- Indigestion.
- Acid reflux.
- Gas and bloating.
- Diarrhea.
- Pain in the abdomen.
- Jaundice.
Most people experience one or some of these symptoms, but not all.
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