New Choice Health

How does gallbladder removal affect the liver?

Your liver has a lot of jobs—more than 500, to be exact. It’s in charge of processing blood after it leaves your stomach, breaking down nutrients, balancing chemical levels, and metabolizing drugs so your body can use them. Your liver also creates a digestive fluid called bile, which helps break down fats in the foods you eat. Your gallbladder is a small organ that lies right below your liver.

So, can gallbladder surgery cause liver problems?

Because the gallbladder and liver work closely together to aid digestion, you may wonder about the long-term effects of gallbladder removal on liver health. More research is needed to fully understand the relationship between gallbladder removal and different liver conditions. So far, large-scale studies have produced conflicting results.

Is gallbladder surgery right for you?

If painful gallbladder attacks are affecting your quality of life, it may be time to consider gallbladder removal surgery. Making healthy lifestyle changes before and after your surgery can help protect your liver health for years to come.

What prevents sleep after gallbladder removal surgery?

Sleep trouble is common after any surgery, especially abdominal surgery. The first few days after having your gallbladder removed, you may experience trouble sleeping due to: Bloating or pressure in your abdomen. During open and laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, a surgeon pumps air into the abdominal cavity so they can easily see and reach the gallbladder.

What does your gallbladder do?

Your gallbladder’s main purpose is to store a digestive fluid called bile. Your liver makes bile to help your body break down the food you eat, and it excretes that bile into the gallbladder through the common bile duct. Bile stays in your gallbladder until it’s released into your small intestine to help you digest fatty foods.