“How long does gallbladder pain last after surgery?”
I had gallbladder surgery 4 days ago. It still hurts. Is it normal? What should I do?
5 Answers
It is normal to have pain at the surgical site for many days. If it worsens with eating or radiates to the back tell your surgeon. A small percentage of people who have the gall bladder removed may have a gall stone stuck in the common duct. The tube that goes from the liver to the intestine through which the bile must flow. Blocking the flow, especially after meals causes pain.
Surgical pain only a couple of weeks. If pain returns after a couple of weeks, then it is a different condition: Bile duct stone or sphincter of Oddi‘s spasm.
Surgical procedures are normally very painful, since it causes injury to tissues.
I usually tell my patients that pain lasts about 2 weeks, and sometimes even 4-6 weeks. That being said, patients typically do not need prescription pain medication for longer than 5 days.
This is best answered by a surgeon. If you have pain that is not improving then you should see the person who removed your gallbladder.
