Q:

I recently had my gallbladder removed. Is there anything special I need to do with my diet?

A:

The gallbladder, a small organ under the liver, is the storage tank for bile. Bile helps the digestion of fat in the diet. When you eat a meal containing fat, bile moves from the gallbladder through the common bile duct into the intestine. There it helps emulsify the fat and prepare it for transport and storage.

Once you have your gallbladder removed, the liver takes over the role of providing bile for digestion. For the initial period after surgery, you may find that you have more frequent, looser stools, but this should clear up in a short time. Although it is not required as a prophylactic, moderating the fat in the diet and reducing the saturated fat in your diet can be helpful in avoiding weight gain and cardiovascular problems.