How much does gallbladder removal affect my body? To know how much gallbladder removal affects the body we have to start from the normal physiological function of gallbladder and why it should be removed. The function of the gallbladder: storage of bile Bile is produced by liver cells, which converge into the bile ducts step by step, and finally through the common bile duct into the small intestine to help digestion and absorption of lipid foods and vitamins. The liver secretes bile day and night, and the amount of bile secreted reaches 600-1000ml per day. Therefore, the gallbladder stores and concentrates bile when it is not eating, and releases it to participate in digestion when it is eating. Why is it necessary to remove the gallbladder? The simple understanding is that the gallbladder needs to be removed because of “problems”, such as gallbladder stones, cholecystitis, or malignant gallbladder polyps. The majority of gallbladder removal is due to gallbladder stones, and some gallbladder stones without symptoms can be observed on a case-by-case basis, but most patients with symptoms or cholecystitis are better off having their gallbladder removed to prevent gallbladder stones from triggering cholecystitis, because after the first biliary colic, about 70% of patients will have another attack within a year. What are the recent effects of gallbladder removal? We introduced earlier that the gallbladder is concentrated and stores bile, which is used to assist fat digestion. Eating high-fat food for a short time after surgery may be prone to diarrhea because the bile is not concentrated at this time, and the bile secreted within the meal time is relatively insufficient, resulting in diarrhea caused by fat for full digestion. But don’t worry too much, it doesn’t happen to everyone, and generally after 1 year, most patients’ diarrhea can disappear through their own regulation. The gallbladder plays a role in regulating bile secretion, and after its removal, its role can be replaced by the common bile duct, and there is usually no problem of missing its role. Other uncomfortable symptoms such as a slight feeling of distension after meals and poor appetite will gradually disappear in about a month. Of course, there are a few patients who reflect that occasional pinprick-like sensation in the right upper abdomen may occur for several months after surgery, which may be related to the slight adhesion and pulling of the gallbladder bed and abdominal wall or intestinal ducts. Does bile go directly into the intestine after gallbladder removal? No. Although the gallbladder is removed, bile is still secreted only when eating, and the outlet of the bile duct is still closed at normal times. What are the long-term effects of gallbladder removal on the body? Long-term follow-up of patients who had their gallbladder removed for gallbladder disease found that their quality of life was significantly improved, and in the long run, the benefits of removal were much higher than the benefits of not removing the gallbladder: for example, patients with gallbladder stones can be spared from the consequences of cholecystitis and transformation of gallbladder stones into bile duct stones, and patients with multiple polyps or large polyps of the gallbladder can be spared from the hidden worry of transformation into gallbladder cancer. Some people say that gallbladder removal will increase the risk of colorectal cancer, but this is not yet supported by strong evidence. If you are worried about this aspect again, you should still have a colonoscopy instead of giving up a non-functional gallbladder. So for those who are worried about gallbladder removal, is it better after understanding these truths?