Dr. Syed Nabeel Zafar, MD MPH

Today, most gallbladder surgeries are done laparoscopically. Four tiny incisions are made in the abdomen, and small tools are inserted through these tiny incisions to perform the surgery. Because the incisions are much smaller, recovery time is much faster with this type of surgery. Patients are usually discharged from the hospital the same day. Sometimes, open surgery is used to remove a gallbladder. In this type of surgery, a cut about six inches long is made in the upper right abdomen. After the gallbladder is removed, it is sutured or stapled closed. With open surgery, patients usually stay in the hospital for two to three days to recover before they are discharged.

Gallbladder removal, like any surgery, carries some risks, such as bleeding, infection, or the development of blood clots. Doctors will tell patients how to minimize their risk for complications. After surgery, patients are advised to avoid strenuous activity for several days. They should not soak in a bath until their sutures or staples have been removed. Patients should wash hands before touching the area around the incision. It will take a couple of days until patients feel like themselves again and a few weeks until their scar has healed and faded.

Liver resection can be performed laparoscopically or through open surgery. Laparoscopic liver resection is a minimally invasive surgery that requires a few tiny incisions on the abdomen, through which the surgeon inserts a thin tube with a camera (laparoscope). Open hepatectomy is performed through a laparotomy, which makes one large incision on the abdomen. Although a laparoscopic liver resection is associated with less pain and quicker recovery, patients may have to undergo an open liver resection depending on factors such as the location of the tumor and previous abdominal operations they have had.

After the liver resection, patients will stay in the hospital for up to six days. The recovery period will vary based on how much of the liver was removed. Limiting consumption of alcohol and light physical activity, such as walking, can help patients to have a speedy recovery.

Pancreatectomy can be done by open or minimally invasive surgery. During a laparoscopic pancreatectomy, the surgeon will use tiny incisions to insert a thin tube with a camera, or laparoscope, into the abdomen. Open surgery, or a laparotomy, is performed through a larger incision on the abdomen. If additional organs are removed, some procedures may require that the small intestine be reconnected to the stomach.

The hospital for pancreatectomy stay may be between 1-3 weeks. Generally, laparoscopic surgeries require shorter recovery periods. Whether patients undergo an open or laparoscopic procedure is determined by factors such as their condition and the extent of their procedure. For example, open surgery tends to be more common for distal pancreatectomies. If patients have difficulty eating, they may require a nasogastric tube, inserted through the nose, to carry food to their stomachs. A catheter can be inserted into the bladder if patients have trouble urinating. Full recovery may take about two months.