With traditional gallbladder surgery the patient may be required to stay in the hospital several days. This is to ensure the incision begins healing properly and to safeguard against infection. During this time the doctor and hospital staff will monitor your pain levels and adjust your pain killer medication accordingly.

Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery Recovery Time

One of the major benefits of having laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is the reduced recovery time. This type of surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. As a result, many patients are able to go home the same day of the surgery. Your doctor will decide when it’s appropriate for you to go home. Your doctor may advise you to take it easy for the next few days.

With laparoscopic gallbladder surgery many people are able to return to work a few days after the procedure. This depends on the type of work however. It may be easier for someone to return to work a few days after the surgery if they work in an office; if someone performs manual labor for a living, like construction work, they may not be able to resume their full duties for a while.

Another benefit of having laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is that most patients have less lingering pain with this procedure than with traditional surgery. If your gall bladder is removed laparoscopically, the incisions are much smaller than the one made during traditional surgery. Also, laparoscopic gallbladder removal does not require the surgeon to cut through abdominal muscles as with traditional surgery. All of this reduces the amount of lingering pain after gallbladder surgery.

The doctor will usually prescribe pain killer medication for patients that have undergone the laproscopic procedure. The amount of medication required to alleviate the pain differs from patient to patient of course.