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What are the side effects of having your gallbladder removed?

Side effects of having your gallbladder remove include nausea and vomiting from the anesthesia, which usually last for a very short time after the surgery. Fatigue and constipation can also occur for up to 2 weeks as you heal from the surgery. Narcotic pain medicine can cause constipation, so as your pain resolves and you wean off of the narcotics, your bowel pattern should return to normal. 

Longer-term effects of gallbladder removal include digestion problems and chronic diarrhea. Some patients have problems digesting fatty foods. Digestion of fat requires bile, which is usually stored in the gallbladder. Once your gallbladder is removed, only smaller amounts of bile are available for digestion and can make it harder for you to digest a large fatty meal.

Chronic diarrhea is common within the first week of having your gallbladder removed, and usually lessens over the next few weeks. Males under age 50 years old are more likely to develop chronic diarrhea. You should contact your doctor for guidance on how to manage this condition.

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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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