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How painful is laparoscopic gallbladder surgery?

During the surgery itself, you will be under general anesthesia and will not feel any pain. Upon completion of the surgery, while in the recovery room, you will receive pain medication and a prescription for narcotic pain medication to help control your pain as you heal. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen also help with the pain. You will likely experience mild to moderate abdominal pain for the first 24-48 hours after surgery. Pain at the shoulder is also common due to the irritation of the body tissues from the extra air that is inserted into the abdominal cavity during the procedure, which helps to visualize the body organs better. Patients who undergo laparoscopic gallbladder removal usually have a faster recovery time and less pain than those undergoing the regular open type of gallbladder removal, which requires a larger incision.

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* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

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