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Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's Cellular Wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster, here to guide our

conversation on health and

wellness. Today we're taking a close look at gallbladder surgery, specifically what to expect

once that procedure is behind you and how you can support your recovery. Joining me is Alara

Sky, who will share detailed insights on how this surgery affects the body and what you can do to ease

common digestive challenges. Elara, thanks for being here.

Thank you, Ethan. It's a pleasure to talk about this topic, especially because gallbladder

removal or colostectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgeries worldwide. In the United States alone,

more than a million people undergo gallbladder removal each year, primarily due to gallstones.

While it's certainly possible to live a healthy life without a gallbladder,

many people don't realize how much this procedure can alter the way their bodies process fat

and handle digestion afterward.

Let's get started by explaining exactly how the gallbladder functions, and why removing

it can cause digestive changes. The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped sack beneath your liver.

Its main job is storing and concentrating bile that your liver produces.

Bile helps break down and absorb the fat you consume. When you eat a fatty meal,

your liver releases some bile directly into the small intestine. At the same time, your gallbladder

contracts to send additional, more concentrated bile to aid in fat digestion.

Without that storage tank, there's nowhere for extra bile to stay until it's needed.

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