How to sleep after gallbladder surgery: Pro Tips

Surgery is anytime a big deal! Specifically when the surgery is done in your abdominal area. It can make your regular livelihood a bit difficult. And this is especially true when it comes to maintaining your normal sleeping position. So, before surgery, it will be good to be prepared mentally and prepare your home as an ideal place for recovery. You can also look up for the best gallbladder surgery in Chandigarh.

What does it look when you are undergoing gallbladder surgery?

When you are undergoing gallbladder surgery, the surgical team will first give you general anesthesia to put you to sleep. Then, they will make a small incision in your abdomen and remove your gallbladder. The surgery usually takes about an hour. You will likely be able to go home the same day or the next day. Gallbladder surgery to eradicate complicated health conditions.  The gallbladder is a small organ located beneath the liver that stores and concentrates bile. Bile is a substance that helps digest food. Gallstones are formed when bile salts and cholesterol combine in the gallbladder. Gallstones can cause pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, especially after eating a fatty meal. Sometimes these stones can block the flow of bile from the gallbladder, leading to inflammation (cholecystitis) or infection (pyogenic cholecystitis).

Gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) is used to remove the gallbladder when it is inflamed or has stones. The most common type of surgery is known as laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

What is Gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located on the right side of the abdomen and under the liver. The gallbladder’s primary function is to store and release bile, a fluid that aids digestion in the small intestine.

When is Gallbladder Surgery necessary?

Sometimes, Gallbladder does not work correctly. Gall stones, inflammation, and infection lead you to remove the gallbladder surgically.  So, what does gallbladder surgery entail? The majority of the time, doctors opt for laparoscopy to remove the gallbladder. In the case of laparoscopy, instead of making large incisions, the doctor used to make a few incisions and insert surgical tools to complete the surgery. So, it is a less invasive approach recovery period is also short and easier. Additionally, with this surgery, the rate of post-surgical risk and complications are also limited.

Now, no matter what type of surgery you go through, it is always painful, and you need plenty of rest.

Surgery can make it difficult to sleep. Now question is

How can Gallbladder Surgery disrupt your sleep?

You can find it difficult to sleep with gallbladder surgery for several reasons.

These include the following:

1. Pain 
2. The after-effect of anesthesia may remain in your system and can interfere with sleep pattern
3. Drugs or medication that you take post-surgery can interfere with sleep
4. Psychological and physical stress in response to surgery can make it harder to sleep for you

Sleeping after gallbladder surgery

In the case of both open and laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, the surgeon used to pump air into the abdominal cavity. This process is followed to make the surgery easy.  After the incision is closed, due to this reason, you may experience severe bloating for one or two days.

You can experience bursts of discomfort from the pressure of this extra gas pressing against your new incisions after the anesthetic from the surgery wears off. Additionally, you can experience a short-term post-operative drain. 

Although this kind of pain is common. But it can be challenging to find comfort, especially when you’re lying down. In such a situation, sleep is mandatory for you. Sleep can help the incision areas and can speed up the healing process.

So, it would help if you made a proper plan for how to sleep after the gallbladder surgery. 

Sleep on your back or on your left side. But do not sleep on your stomach or right side.

In gallbladder surgery, the incision is used to be on the right side of the belly. This is because the gallbladder is located on the right side of the abdomen. So, try to avoid sleeping on your incision or the right side. It can also reduce the pressure on the area and reduce discomfort.

Sleep on your back is the best position of sleeping after gallbladder surgery. Or, if you used to sleep on your side, sleep on the left side.

You can add a pillow underneath your body. It can provide support and comfort to you.

The ideal posture is a straight back, arms at your sides, straight legs, and toes pointed upward. This pose aids in maintaining your neutral alignment. So, if you’re unsure about how to sleep, turn over on your back.

Avoid heavy meals before bed.

After the gallbladder surgery, the doctor prescribed taking healthy food in small quantities but at an interval of a certain period. There is no specific diet that you need to follow after having gallbladder surgery or removal of the organ. 

But you should Stick to a modest diet! A light meal is simple to digest and doesn’t expand your stomach after surgery. It will also help to prevent dealing with gas or digestive upset on top of other difficulties.

Bananas, soup, and crackers are all healthy choices. To encourage good digestion, you should refrain from consuming large amounts of processed meals, fatty meats, and alcohol.

Create a good sleeping environment

Proper sleep and rest are essential when you are recovering from any surgery. And for that, you need a clean and calm environment to rest. Such an environment at home can speed up the healing process. 

If you have the chance to prepare your bedroom before your surgery, you might wish to spend money on moisture-wicking bedding and blackout curtains. With these, you can create a calming, dark environment.

Put a glass of water, phone charger, and other essentials near your bed before you lie down. This is because you may get hurt in incision areas if you get up and out of bed multiple times.

You can use an eye mask and noise-canceling ear-pod to get a good sleep in a calm environment.

In this scenario, you can also use an adjustable bed base. It can help you raise your bed’s torso by 45 degrees. This can be comfortable for you to sleep on your back.

The removal of your gallbladder is not as frightening as it may sound. If you want to prevent issues and complications during your recovery, you should try to implement the lifestyle modifications advised and pay attention to your doctor’s instructions. They will undoubtedly offer guidance, including tips on sleeping following gallbladder surgery.

Similarly, the wrong sleeping position and sleeping on your stomach can increase unnecessary pressure on surgical wounds. It can worsen the complications and prolong the recovery period. In deep sleep, you can accidentally roll over onto your right side, and then you may wake up with pain. To avoid this, you can put pillows around you to stop the turning.