Dr. Sanjoy Mandal | GI Cancer surgeon

 Let’s say your doctor has recommended gallbladder removal. Naturally, your brain floods with questions like — Do I really need it removed? Can I function normally without it? What will change? Can I live without it? The answer is yes, you absolutely can. In fact, thousands of people live perfectly healthy lives without a gallbladder. But there are a few things you will need to know about life after gallbladder removal and how your body adapts to the change. What does the gallbladder do? Your gallbladder is a small organ located under your liver. Primarily, the gallbladder stores bile — a digestive juice that helps break down fats. When you eat something fatty, the gallbladder releases bile into your small intestine, which your liver can also produce. So, even without the gallbladder, bile just flows straight from your liver into your intestine. So, what changes after gallbladder removal? Once the gallbladder is removed through surgical intervention (known as cholecystectomy), mos...

Your pancreas plays a major role in digestion. It produces strong enzymes (like lipase, amylase, protease) that break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in your food. It also releases insulin and other hormones that control your blood sugar levels. But when the pancreas gets inflamed (a condition called pancreatitis), everything gets a bit out of balance. Wondering how an inflamed pancreas can mess with your digestive system? Let’s understand how pancreatitis acts and why it is more serious than stomach aches. What Happens in Pancreatitis? Pancreatitis can be acute (sudden and short-term) or chronic (long-term and ongoing). In this condition, the enzymes can get activated inside the pancreas instead of releasing enzymes into the small intestine where needed. This causes the pancreas to start “digesting” its own tissue, leading to pain, swelling, inflammation, and long-term damage. Over time, your body doesn’t get enough digestive enzymes to break down fats, proteins, and carbohydra...