From Consultant Surgeon Mr James Kirkby-Bott
More Information about Gallbladder Issues
Post operation advice from Consultant Surgeon Mr James Kirkby-Bott
Cholecystectomy Gallbladder Surgery:
Post Operation Advice
The following advice has been written by your gallbladder surgeon - Mr James Kirkby-Bott, with advice on helping with your recovery. Please read it and use the advice to help minimise discomfort and maximise your outcome.
How will you feel after gallbladder surgery?
The first 2-3 days are the worst in
terms of feeling discomfort, nausea, tiredness, a sore throat and generally not
feeling yourself. Gallbladder surgery and general anaesthetic are perceived by
your body as a trauma. This takes some time and patience to recover from.
Mr Kirkby-Bott says
“If I can offer any general advice it is
this:
Try not to get pre-occupied with how you feel or how you feel compared to what you have been expecting. Instead try and go with the flow. Give yourself a period of rest time from work and activities. As each day passes try and increase your activity levels doing gentle exercise and keeping moving around the house. Going for a walk might be pleasant, but don’t do strenuous sports until you feel up to it. Remember any unusual sensations are temporary and will improve as time goes by. Don’t be distracted by feeling unwell.
Stay positive – doing things you enjoy for
your rest time will help you achieve this. It is OK to enjoy your recovery
time. After all you’ve just had a big gallbladder operation and deserve the
rest!”
Wound Dressings:
The following advice is designed to make your scar feel as close to invisible and normal, like before your gallbladder surgery, as your body will allow. It will all heal well, but following this advice will maximise the final outcome you have.
The four small wounds are covered in a plaster and under this are small adhesive strips (called steristrips) that are positioned to take tension off your wound edges. This helps neat healing and a neat scar. Leave these on for 10 days. Underneath the skin is closed with an absorbable stitch that doesn’t need removing.
It is OK to shower from the first morning after gallbladder surgery.
No need to feel grungy or stinky! Keep the dressing in place for 10 days and pat it dry when wet.
Make yourself comfortable.
If the dressing starts to come off, please replace it with a fresh one. However, the fewer dressing changes the better for avoiding wound infection.
You will have a bruise and maybe some mild swelling.
This happens to everyone. It will look reddy-brown and be sore. This is normal healing, not a sign of a wound infection. Leave it alone and don’t worry about it. It will disappear as a bruise usually does and the swelling will go down with the bruise disappearing. This is often mistaken for a wound infection. Infections take between 4-7 days to happen. Infections make the wound red and angry with weeping and increasing pain. If this is what you have noted call the hospital and ask for a wound review. If it is an infection we can start a simple course of antibiotics.
Scar Healing
From day 1 perform regular stretches to the point of slight discomfort and continue at least daily, noting how the range of movement changes each day.
After 10 days remove any dressings. It will have healed by now. To help the scar heal as neatly as possible, continue the stretches and start to apply a moisturizer (any that you would happily put on your face is fine) twice a day to the whole of the front of your wounds and rub firmly (to the point it is slightly uncomfortable). This will help keep tissue layers free and ensure the area feels comfortable to move in the long term.
It takes a good 12 months for scars to fully heal and the tissues to remodel. During this time don’t be surprised if the scar becomes raised or coloured. Just perform the exercises above and wait. It will subside and become less apparent as the remodelling continues.
Follow up
Mr Kirkby-Bott always follows up gallbladder cases. At this meeting we can:
Discuss the histology or diagnosis from the resected specimen.
Review any blood results taken and to ensure you have recovered as expected and to review surgery success.
Discuss any questions you have regarding your surgery, post surgery recovery and anything else that will help you get the best outcome from your surgery.
We will then discharge your care back to your referring doctor.
Improve Comfort and Recovery
Abdominal Surgery Recovery Programme
Although first used by our hernia patients, this Recovery Programme is useful for any type of abdominal surgery. Patient recommended and medically-approved, this programme has been specially-designed to help you improve your recovery, comfort, and return to activity after abdominal surgery.
Abdominal Support Belt
Rehabilitation Exercises
Abdominal Surgery Advice Leaflet
Activities Post Gallbladder Surgery
From Day 1
You can shower.
You can be up, dressed and mobile.
From Day 10
You can get the wound wet in a bath.
You can get in a swimming pool once all the dressings are off and the wound is dry.
Exercise
Exercise as you feel able from day 1. Start with a gentle walk.
Running, cycling and exercise classes should be ok from day 10.
The more strenuous the activity the longer the rest time needed before resuming the activity.
Weight classes may need 4-6 weeks before they feel OK to join. Start with higher repetitions of small weights rather than low repetitions of high weights.
As a general rule, if it feels comfortable to do it is OK to do it. If not comfortable, stop and try again in a couple of days.
Driving
To be able to drive the law states that you must be able to safely perform an emergency stop.
It is also worth making sure you can turn to look back over your shoulder.
This might take 10-14 days.