Mrs. S is a school teacher in her late forties. For nearly eight months she had lived with episodes of sudden severe pain in the upper right abdomen, particularly after dinner. She had tried dietary changes, antacids, and a short course of medication, all with limited relief.

An abdominal ultrasound confirmed multiple gallstones with a mildly thickened gallbladder wall. She was referred to Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Nellore, where she met Dr. Dwarakanath Reddy for a surgical opinion.

The decision

Mrs. S was hesitant about surgery. Her main concerns were time away from teaching and whether she would be able to eat normally afterwards. Dr. Reddy reviewed the imaging and explained the options clearly. Silent gallstones might be watched, but her attacks were becoming more frequent and severe. Delaying now carried a real risk of emergency presentation during a school term.

Surgery was scheduled as a day care laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The procedure

The operation was performed in the morning under general anaesthesia and took about 40 minutes. Four small incisions of less than a centimetre each were made in the upper abdomen. The gallbladder was removed carefully, and the critical view of safety confirmed before dividing any structure.

She was in the recovery area for an hour, back in her room by lunchtime, walking by evening, and discharged the next morning.

Recovery

  • Day 1: Light meals at home, mild soreness at incision sites, oral painkillers
  • Day 2 and 3: Full normal diet, walking around the house comfortably
  • Day 5: Returned to the classroom
  • Week 3: Back to her morning walks

There was no permanent change to her diet. The loose motion some patients describe after gallbladder removal did not occur. At three months post-operative, she remains symptom-free.

In her words

"I kept postponing because I was worried about the time off. In the end I was teaching on Monday after a Wednesday surgery. I wish I had done it months earlier."

Patient story shared with consent. Name and identifying details have been changed. Outcomes are specific to this patient and not a guarantee for others.