http://www.everydayhealth.com/gallbladder/living-without-a-gallbladder.aspx
Living Without a Gallbladder
By Krisha McCoy | Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
Living without a gallbladder is usually not a big deal, but you may
experience some discomfort. Here's what to expect after gallbladder
removal.
If you have had gallbladder problems and need to have your gallbladder removed, there is a
chance you could experience uncomfortable symptoms from living without a gallbladder.
“Most people don't notice anything, and there is no real change in digestion" after having their
gallbladder removed, says William Brugge, MD, associate professor of medicine at Harvard
Medical School and gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. But, he
says, "A percentage of people have complications" after gallbladder removal surgery.
Obviously, when you’re living without a gallbladder, it can no longer store bile, as designed.
Bile is a liquid that helps you digest fatty foods. The gallbladder releases it into your small
intestine. But, according to Dr. Brugge, when you are not eating for a long period of time, such
as at night when you are sleeping, your gallbladder stores the bile. "The gallbladder holds
maybe a cup of fluid," says Brugge.
However, when you remove the gallbladder, you remove the reservoir, Brugge says. So, even
though you will have the same amount of bile in your body, you will not have as much bile in
your intestine after your gallbladder is gone.
"The bile is constantly being delivered into your intestine instead of being stored," Brugge
explains. In theory, this means that you will not digest food as well.
"But most animal species in the world don't have gallbladders," Brugge says. And your
gallbladder is an organ you can live without.
Digestion Changes After Gallbladder Removal
In the first few weeks after your surgery, your doctor probably will recommend that you eat a
mostly low*fat diet while your body adjusts to living without a gallbladder. After that, "ninety
percent of people go back to eating the way they did before," says Brugge.