Gallbladder Stone Surgery

These are called "silent gallstones", and they are common.

The short answer: if you truly have no symptoms — no pain, no digestive trouble, no jaundice — we can often monitor rather than operate straight away.

The nuance:

• A proportion of silent stones become symptomatic over the following years
• Once symptoms start, they rarely go away on their own
• Emergency surgery (when stones cause infection or pancreatitis) is riskier than planned surgery

When I may recommend surgery even without symptoms: if you have diabetes, a thickened gallbladder wall, very large stones, or you are planning a pregnancy.

My advice: if you have stones, get evaluated. We'll look at your specific risk factors and decide together.

Unfortunately, no. Your gallbladder formed those stones because of the way it concentrates bile. If only the stones are removed, new ones tend to form again.

Removing the gallbladder is the permanent solution — and you don't need your gallbladder to live a normal life. Your liver still makes bile; it simply flows directly into the intestine instead of being stored. Most people notice no difference in their digestion after a few weeks.

Gallstones don't dissolve on their own. They either stay quiet or cause problems, such as:

• Acute cholecystitis (gallbladder infection): severe pain lasting hours or days, fever and chills; often needs urgent surgery
• Pancreatitis: a stone blocks the pancreatic duct, causing severe pain and vomiting that needs hospital admission — it can be life-threatening
• Jaundice: a stone slips into the bile duct, turning the skin and eyes yellow; this needs urgent treatment, often an endoscopic procedure followed by surgery

The pattern I see: patients who delay planned surgery often end up needing emergency surgery under worse conditions.

Laparoscopic gallbladder removal is one of the most common operations, and serious problems are uncommon — but you should know what they are before you decide.

Common and usually minor: shoulder-tip pain from the gas, soreness at the incisions, bloating, and loose stools after fatty meals for a few weeks.

Uncommon but serious:

• Bile leak from the liver bed or the closed-off duct — may need a drain or an endoscopic procedure
• Injury to the main bile duct — rare, but the most serious risk of this operation; it can need further surgery
• Bleeding or infection
• A stone left in the bile duct, which may need an endoscopic procedure (ERCP) to remove
• Conversion to open surgery if the gallbladder is badly inflamed or the anatomy is unclear

We explain your own level of risk at the consultation.

Yes — after a short adjustment period.

• Weeks 1–2: low-fat, easily digestible food — rice, khichdi, boiled vegetables, dal, fruit
• Weeks 3–4: gradually reintroduce your usual food and listen to your body
• Month 2 onwards: most patients eat normally with no restrictions

A small number of people notice loose stools after very fatty meals or occasional bloating; this usually settles and is manageable with small dietary changes. Many patients feel better because they're no longer living in fear of gallstone attacks.

• Surgery day: drowsy from anaesthesia, mild soreness, short walks
• Days 1–2: pain controlled with tablets, walking around the house, light food
• Days 3–4: noticeably better, most pain gone
• Days 4–5: back to desk work and light activity
• Week 2: almost back to normal
• Week 6: cleared for heavy lifting, gym and sport

By type of work: office or desk job 4–5 days · light physical work 2 weeks · heavy lifting or manual labour 6 weeks. See the full gallbladder surgery guide.

The surgery itself doesn't cause weight gain. But many patients eat less before surgery because food triggers pain — and once the pain is gone, appetite returns. A balanced diet and regular activity keep things steady. Your metabolism hasn't changed; your eating habits may have.