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A member asked:

Had gallbladder removed thursday, haven't had a bowel movement since. light headed, vomiting, bloated, and nausea. should i go to the er or just wait it out?

2 doctor answers2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Heidi Fowler
Psychiatry 27 years experience
I : I recommend going to the er. Concern is that if you haven't had a bowel movement, you could have an ileus (your bowel is sort of asleep).If that is the case, the food and fluids you ingest are not being moved down the GI tract and thus you become bloated and vomit it up. Take care.
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Dr. Mark Hoepfner
Surgery 41 years experience
I : I am guessing that your surgery was about 2 days ago. It is not uncommon to have constipation and abdominal bloating after laparoscopic surgery. The bloating sometimes can last for several days. Constipation is also common after surgery, and is made worse with narcotic pain medications. Nausea and vomiting may occur from the use of narcotic pain medication. But if you were having increasing abdominal pain or fevers, that would be concerning. It would be best to call and contact your surgeon now to see if there were any additional concerns with your specific surgery, and ask the surgeon what you should do.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated Oct 4, 2016

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