Removal of Gallstones - Know Your Needed Recovery Time

Removal of Gallstones - Know Your Needed Recovery Time

For many people, the final and heaviest weighing factor in decided to have surgery for the removal of gallstones is the length of time he/she will be out of commission. With the economy being as it is, no one can be out of work for an extensive amount of time. Thanks to the technological advances, you might not have to be out of work for very long.

Depending on the actual procedure used for the removal of gallstones, you might be back on your feet in a week or so. There are two different procedures that are used for removing the gallbladder. The first, and the one that is used the majority of the time is called a laparoscopic holecystectomy.

This is a fancy way of saying you will have a few small incisions in your abdomen. One will be used to place a camera inside of you so the doctor can easily view the gallbladder and remove it without having to make a large incision.

If you have this procedure done, our recovery time is very minimal. You will have to spend a night in the hospital, but usually the patient is released the following day. Being sore for a few days is completely normal. However, as long as there are no issues stemming from the procedure you should be up and resuming your regular daily activities in about a week.

If you are unable to go through the noninvasive procedure you will have a larger, single incision made in your abdomen. Normally, if your doctor opts for this procedure it is likely because you have scar tissue that will make it impossible to perform the laparoscopic holecystectomy. This procedure is considered to be an invasive procedure and will require a longer hospital stay and recovery time.

On average, a person that undergoes the open surgery will be in the hospital for 3-5 days and require 6-8 weeks of recovery time. Because this procedure opens your abdomen up, you will be sore for a longer period of time. You will also have to keep in contact with your doctor to make sure you do not have an infection at the incision site.

Your recovery time might vary slightly depending on your age and health. The removal of gallstones is a procedure that is done frequently. However, in some cases, there is no need for surgery because the gallstones are not posing a health concern nor are they inflicting pain on the individual. These gallstones are generally the ones that are found on accident during testing for something else.