Day Surgery Leaflet: Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: You will be going home on the day of your surgery after you are able to eat and drink and have passed urine. You would stay in the hospital for a minimum of two to four hours for observations. You will need a responsible adult to pick you up from the hospital and stay with you overnight.

Leaflet Details

Patient Information

After your surgery

• You will be going home on the day of your surgery after you are able to eat and drink and have passed urine. You would stay in the hospital for a minimum of two to four hours for observations. You will need a responsible adult to pick you up from the hospital and stay with you overnight.

Dressings

• You have a waterproof dressing over your wounds. This needs to be kept clean and dry for 5-7 days and can be removed after this time or until the stitches are removed. You must have a shower but not a bath for at least 2 weeks. Please change the dressings with spare ones provided if they get dirty or wet. When changing the dressing, you need to peel the dressings off and apply the new ones without touching the wound. Wash your hands before and after.
   
• If there is no visible dressing, you need to keep the wound clean and dry for at least 24 hours before having a shower.
   
• You may have a pressure dressing over your skin dressing. This is usually not waterproof and can be removed after 24 hours.

Stitches / Sutures

You may have stitches to close the wound.

• Dissolvable stitches take a few weeks / months to dissolve. 
   
• Non-dissolvable stiches need to be removed between 10-14 days’ time. You need to make an appointment with your practice nurse in your GP surgery for removal.

Wound care

• You will experience bruising and swelling around the wounds. This should settle down after one to two weeks.
   
• If you notice any bleeding through the dressings, please apply firm pressure over it for about 15-20 minutes. If the bleeding does not stop, please go to your nearest A and E department.

Pain

• It is common to have pain on the abdomen. Please take regular pain relief until this wears off.
   
• You may feel some abdominal bloating due to the gases used to inflate your abdomen, this usually settles down in a day or two. You can drink peppermint tea or sparkling water to help ease this.
   
• You may also experience referred shoulder pain. This usually resolves after a few days.

Diet

• You may eat and drink normally.
   
• You may find that some pain relief medications can cause you to become a little constipated. You are advised to have a high fibre diet and increase fluid intake. However, if you have not opened your bowels for more than 3 days, a mild over-the-counter laxative may be required. Please speak to the pharmacist for advice.

Activities

• You need to take it easy for a couple of weeks. You are advised to take short walks the day after surgery, slowly building up to your normal activities.
   
• You need to avoid any heavy lifting or contact sports for 6 weeks.
   
• You should not drive for 2 weeks and until you are able to make an emergency stop safely. It is advisable to check with your insurance company as they may have different policies.
   
• Providing that your job does not involve physical exertion, you may return to work as soon as you feel able to do so. Most people feel ready to return to work within a couple of weeks.

Blood clot prevention

• It is important that you resume normal activities as advised and keep active. You must wear the anti-embolic stockings given to you for 7 days, both during the day and at night. They can be removed while you have a shower and applied again afterwards.
   
• You will have been given a blood thinning injection either during or after surgery. These help prevent blood clots such as in the leg (deep vein thrombosis) or the lung (pulmonary embolus). Depending on your medical risk factors, you may need to have this injection for a few days at home. You will be given instructions on how to administer them by your nurse.

Follow up appointment

• You usually do not need a follow up appointment from the hospital. If your surgeon wants you to have an outpatient appointment, the details will be posted to you by your surgeon’s secretary.

What to watch out for:

Please contact your GP if:

• The wound/s looks inflamed, hot to touch, has an offensive discharge and you have a temperature as these are signs of infection

Please attend Accident and Emergency department if:

• There is significant swelling around the wound/s and the skin looks very dark and feels hard to touch
   
• The pain becomes severe and unmanageable
   
• The bleeding from the wound becomes excessive and uncontrolled
   
• You develop a high temperature and your eyes / skin turns a yellowish colour
   
• You are vomiting excessively and unable to tolerate fluids

Useful contact numbers:

• Day Surgery Unit Ashford hospital 01784 884609 or 01784 884189 between 8am-9pm Monday to Friday
   
• Eliot ward 01784 884005 or 01784 884575 after 9pm on weekdays, all day weekends and bank holidays
   
• ASPH Main Switchboard 01932 872000 and ask to be connected to your surgeon’s secretary for appointment queries

If you feel unwell and needed urgent medical care, please go to your nearest Accident and Emergency Department immediately and bring your discharge letter with you.