After surgery, bile flows from the liver (where it is made) through the common bile duct and into the small intestine. Because the gallbladder has been removed, the body can no longer store bile between meals. In most people, this has little or no effect on digestion. What To Expect After Surgery After surgery you may have: Pain in your shoulder and belly that lasts 24 to 72 hours (from gas used to inflate the abdomen during surgery). It may last as long as a week. Widespread muscle aches from anesthesia. Diarrhea. Minor inflammation or drainage at the surgical wound sites. Loss of appetite and some nausea. Most people can return to their normal activities in 7 to 10 days. People who have laparoscopic gallbladder surgery are sore for about a week. But in 2 to 3 weeks they have much less discomfort than people who have open surgery. No special diets or other precautions are needed after surgery. Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is the best method of treating gallstones that cause symptoms, unless there is a reason that the surgery should not be done. Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is safe and effective.1 Surgery gets rid of gallstones located in the gallbladder. It does not remove stones in the common bile duct. Gallstones can form in the common bile duct years after the gallbladder is removed, although this is rare. The overall risk of laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is very low. The most serious possible complications include: Infection of an incision. Internal bleeding. Injury to the common bile duct. Injury to the small intestine by one of the instruments used during surgery. Risks of general anesthesia. Other uncommon complications may include: Injury to the cystic duct, which carries bile from the gallbladder to the common bile duct. Gallstones that remain in the abdominal cavity. Bile that leaks into the abdominal cavity. Injury to abdominal blood vessels, such as the major blood vessel carrying blood from the heart to the liver (hepatic artery). This is rare. A gallstone being pushed into the common bile duct. The liver being cut. More surgery may be needed to repair these complications. After gallbladder surgery, some people have ongoing abdominal symptoms, such as pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea (postcholecystectomy syndrome). Recovery is much faster and less painful after laparoscopic surgery than after open surgery. The hospital stay after laparoscopic surgery is shorter than after open surgery. People generally go home the same day or the next day, compared with 2 to 4 days or longer for open surgery. Recovery is faster after laparoscopic surgery. You will spend less time away from work and other activities after laparoscopic surgery (about 7 to 10 days compared with 4 to 6 weeks). So: Gallstones can form in the common bile duct years after the gallbladder is removed, although this is rare.