What is a gallbladder?
A gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ sitting below the liver on the right side of our abdomen.
It holds a digestive fluid called bile that helps digestion. It breaks down fats.
Gallbladder disorders
A gallbladder may get an inflammation. Stones, tumours or infections can block the outlet of the gallbladder.
Laparoscopic surgery
Laparoscopic surgery makes gallbladder removal relatively easy. A surgeon will make a few small incisions on the abdomen to perform the surgery.
As the incision is small, the patient requires fewer painkillers. Hospital stay will be shorter too.
After surgery
You can eat as usual without a gallbladder. Bile continues to flow from the liver to the gut. However, the storage space is absent.
Some people may have some mild abdominal discomfort or bloating from time to time. It is noticeable after eating a fatty meal.
For more information, consider consulting a surgeon.
Dr Pok Eng Hong
MBBS (UM), Ms (UM)
MMC Full Registration No. 39251, NSR No. 129579
Dr Pok is a laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon in Subang Jaya Medical Centre. Graduated from the University of Malaya in 2001, he completed his Masters of Surgery in his alma mater in 2009.
He subsequently trained at the National Cancer Centre of Japan as an advanced therapeutic endoscopist. Soon after, he completed his bariatric and metabolic surgery fellowship in Taiwan.
In 2015, he received the Soudavar Memorial Fellowship in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.
