Patient information Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy i Important information for patients having a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Golden Jubilee National Hospital Agamemnon Street Clydebank, G81 4DY (: 0141 951 5000 www.nhsgoldenjubilee.co.uk Reviewed: August 2015 Next review: August 2016 Version 7
About this booklet The purpose of this booklet is to give you information about what to expect before, during and after your laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure. Admissions For this procedure you will be admitted as a day case to the day surgery unit on level 3 East. Please ensure you have an escort to take you home that evening and a responsible adult to stay with you overnight and for the first 24 hours. A small number of patients require to stay overnight. If the surgeon makes this decision, please be appropriately prepared for this. What is a laparoscopic cholecystectomy? The gallbladder is a small pouch in the upper right part of your abdomen. It stores bile produced by the liver and this helps to break down fatty foods.cholecystectomy is removal of your gallbladder. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is keyhole surgery to remove your gallbladder and this can be done as a day case but usually requires an overnight stay. In some circumstances depending on your theatre time and recovery, you may be discharged the same evening. Open cholecystectomy is when a larger incision has to be made to remove the gallbladder. The surgeon will discuss both methods with you: it is not possible to predict which method is best until in theatre; for this reason, you will be asked to consent to both. 2
Before surgery You will be asked to attend the pre-operative assessment clinic to ensure that you are fit for the surgery and anaesthetic. This will be either at your own local hospital or here at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital. You will be asked about your past medical history. Please bring all the tablets you are taking. The nurse will take a blood sample and you will be asked to provide a sample of urine. If you are unable to attend this assessment please let us know. Day of surgery In preparation for surgery, you will: be introduced to your nurse who will discuss your care with you; be admitted by the doctor and will be seen by the anaesthetist prior to going to theatre and if a pre-med (tablets) is prescribed, these will be given to you by the nurse; and see the surgeon who may have to mark the area with ink. He/ she will discuss the procedure with you before asking you to sign the relevant form. After surgery You may feel drowsy or weak for several hours after your surgery. It may take 24 hours for the effects of a general anaesthetic to wear off completely. On discharge from hospital: A competent adult should stay with you overnight. You should eat and drink normally as able (unless otherwise advised). 3
Common side effects are: dizziness; drowsiness; nausea/vomiting; sore throat; and general aches and pains. If you have had laparoscopic surgery and the surgeon is happy for you to go home, the nurse will let you know at what time your discharge is planned for, after allowing sufficient time for recovery. If you are staying overnight, observations will continue overnight and the day staff will prepare you for discharge around 10am the next day. If you have had open removal of your gallbladder, you may have to stay for a few days to ensure full recovery. A discharge summary will be given to you for your GP. You will be advised if you have any sutures to be removed; these will be removed by your GP s practice nurse. A date for the removal of the sutures will be given to you before discharge. Discharge advice Rest this evening and avoid strenuous activities. In the next 24 hours, you must not: drive; drink alcohol; or use machinery. Take your usual medications and any that you may have been given by the nurse today. 4
It is normal to feel some pain after surgery. You will be prescribed and given regular painkillers during your stay in hospital. On discharge from hospital you will be given painkillers to take home. If a follow up appointment is required, you will be advised of this on discharge. Contact the hospital immediately after discharge for any advice. Contact your GP if: You become breathless. You have severe pain not relieved by medication. You have excess bleeding from the wound site. You have extreme redness or swelling around the wound site or drainage of pus. You are unable to pass urine. You have continual vomiting. You have a fever. In the event of an emergency, you should go to your nearest Accident and Emergency Department. Mobility You will feel tired for the first few days following discharge from hospital. Rest for some of the time and gradually increase your activity until you feel fit to resume normal activities; this will take a few weeks. You should not go to your bed as if you were ill. Avoid heavy lifting for six weeks following surgery. It is advisable to wear your support stockings during the day until your mobility has increased to near normal levels. 5
Wounds You will normally have four small wounds on your abdomen. Treat them carefully, as you would any cut. You can have a shower the day after your operation if you wish. Change the dressings when they get wet. You will be given some dressings to take home with you. The stitches that are used are normally dissolvable. You may have some paper stitches over your wounds. These should be left in place for seven days. If the stitches are not dissolvable and are not of the paper type, you will be given a date to attend your practice nurse to have them removed. You may experience some bruising around the wound sites. This will gradually settle. Driving You may return to driving a vehicle when you can apply the brakes and perform emergency stops without pain. Check with your car insurance company. Returning to work You will normally need six weeks off work depending on how well you recover from your surgery and on what job you do. You may require longer if you carry out heavy physical work. Contact If you have any problems or questions, please contact the day unit on 0141 951 5301 during Monday to Friday 7.30am to 7.30pm. Out of hours you should contact the Senior Nurse via the switchboard on 0141 951 5000. 6
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(: 0141 951 5513 Please call the above number if you require this publication in an alternative format Golden Jubilee National Hospital Charity Number: SC045146 GS02