14 Tips to Accelerate Recovery After Gallbladder Surgery
Stop eating any processed foods, fast foods, foods with added fats, and foods with added sugar 2 weeks before surgery, or as soon as you can before surgery. This will avoid asking too much of your gallbladder AND help decrease any inflammation at the cellular level. You’ll feel a lot better.
Eat whole foods and drink plenty of water daily.
Have self compassion for the pain and discomfort of the gallbladder, the stress of surgery, and the stress of not knowing when another attack might come.
Electrolyte drink (clear with zero sediment or particles) the morning of surgery, finishing it 2 hours before check-in at the hospital. This is pretty standard of care these days.
Light diet the days before, on, and after surgery.
Bottle of magnesium citrate the afternoon before surgery for a light “clean out” of your colon, this will help avoid constipation after surgery from narcotic pain meds.
Acupressure for anxiety before surgery and nausea after surgery.
Ask for a scopolamine patch before surgery, to be placed behind the ear the evening before surgery.
Have self-compassion for the surgical incision pain as well as pain you will likely have between the shoulder blades after surgery from the air in the abdomen during the operation. Pain medicine will not help. Self-compassion techniques, meditation, acupuncture or pressure, and massage are ways to tolerate the discomfort for a few days until it goes away.
Ice the incisions as well as the entire abdomen the first few days after surgery. Your entire belly will be stretched from the air necessary for the surgeon to do the operation, so the entire area will be sore.
If you are having muscle discomfort of the abdomen then try ice or heat to see which one helps and stick with that.
Arnica to the abdomen skin for bruising and pain control.
Massage to the neck, shoulders, arms, and legs for discomfort from positioning during surgery.
Miralax 1-2 times daily while using any prescription pain medicines after surgery. The last thing you need after belly surgery is constipation!
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