Can You Live Without a Gallbladder?

When your doctor recommends scheduling gallbladder surgery, usually to help resolve the issue of gallstones, you might feel a little unsure about the whole thing. Can you really get by without this organ? Don’t you need your gallbladder for something?

Your gallbladder does have an important role to play in your digestive system. But if you develop gallbladder disease, you may need to have your gallbladder removed. And much like your tonsils and spleen, this is one organ that your body can typically adjust to life without.

Gastroenterologist Christine Lee, MD, is here to reassure you: “The gallbladder, thankfully, is not an organ that’s necessary for life. It’s a luxury, not a necessity.”

Gallbladder removal surgery — known as a cholecystectomy — is one of the most commonly performed medical procedures worldwide. In some instances, a cholecystectomy can be done as outpatient surgery, and if all goes well, you may even go home the same day.

Dr. Lee explains why you may need gallbladder surgery and what life looks like once you’ve had yours removed.

What happens when you don’t have a gallbladder?

To understand how your body functions without a gallbladder, let’s first talk about what gallbladders are supposed to do.

Have you ever rented a storage unit to hang onto things you know you’ll need later? The gallbladder, a small organ tucked away under your liver, is kind of like that, but for your body.

“Your gallbladder acts as a storage space for bile to pool and be held onto until a convenient time,” Dr. Lee explains. “That bile, which aids in digestion, is then ready to be released after you’ve eaten a meal.”

But after you have your gallbladder removed, there’s nowhere for that bile to hang out between meals. Instead, it has to flow directly from your liver (where it’s made) into your small intestine (where it helps with digestion).

“It’s a very convenient organ to have, but it’s not strictly necessary,” she adds. “Without it, your body continues to make bile throughout the day. You just no longer have the luxury of a stored bile surge that can be dumped into the digestive tract for you to rapidly use after a meal.”

What does all that mean for your everyday life? Let’s get into it.

Living without a gallbladder

Having your gallbladder removed is a big change for your digestive system. After surgery, the most common side effect is diarrhea, which may also be accompanied by other digestive discomfort, like bloating and gas. But temporary dietary changes often help relieve or even avoid these issues.

“There can be a little bit of a learning curve because your intestinal tract no longer has a gallbladder that can collect and hold bile until you eat,” Dr. Lee notes. “That learning curve can be a couple of weeks or even a couple of months.

Bile-induced diarrhea

Without a gallbladder, your body has to learn how to reabsorb and redistribute bile. But bile has a laxative effect (translation: It makes you poop), so as your body adjusts to life without a gallbladder, you’re likely to experience some diarrhea.

For most people, these digestive troubles are temporary. Others experience bile-induced diarrhea.

“There are rare instances in which people don’t adapt as well,” Dr. Lee shares, “but medications called ‘bile acid binders’ can help make bile-induced diarrhea less symptomatic.”

If you continue to experience post-cholecystectomy diarrhea, talk to your healthcare provider.

Digestive changes

After gallbladder removal surgery, you might have to make some diet changes to help your body acclimate — especially at first. That’s because your gallbladder plays a big role in helping your body digest fats. When you no longer have one, eating fatty foods is more likely to cause stomach issues.

“After surgery, you’ll want to make sure your diet is pretty even-keeled,” Dr. Lee advises. “You shouldn’t have a big surge of fatty, greasy, oily or buttery food because you no longer have the bile storage to provide the large surge of bile required to digest it.”

That’s not to say you can’t have these foods ever again. Dr. Lee says you’ll just need to eat them in small quantities, given your newly limited bile storage.

Take it slow reintroducing these and other solid foods with these tips for dietary changes after gallbladder removal surgery.

How does your body change after gallbladder removal?

Again, having your gallbladder removed can cause diarrhea and the need for some dietary changes.

“Recovery varies from person to person,” Dr. Lee clarifies. “If you’re healthy and athletic, you’re likely to bounce back pretty quickly. If you have other health issues, you might need a little bit longer to recuperate. But overall, most people tolerate surgery well.”