In an emergency, call your local emergency number
For example, 911 in the US or 999 in the UK. Do not use this website to decide whether to seek emergency help. If you think it is an emergency, act now.
This page summarizes warning signs listed by the NHS and Cleveland Clinic (marked below), plus a few other widely recognized signs that need urgent attention. It is not a complete list and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are unsure, contact your doctor or surgical team.
Call emergency services for
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing, including sudden breathlessness
- Swelling or pain in a leg together with breathing difficulty or chest pain, which can be signs of a blood clot that has reached the lungs (NHS)
- Fainting, confusion or severe drowsiness
- Vomiting blood, or black, tarry or bloody stools
Get medical advice promptly for
- Severe pain, or pain that is getting worse (NHS)
- A high temperature, or shivering and chills (NHS)
- Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes (jaundice) (NHS, Cleveland Clinic)
- Pus oozing from a wound, or wounds that become red, swollen or tender (NHS)
- Swelling, tenderness, throbbing or cramping pain in a leg (NHS)
- Severe nausea or persistent vomiting (Cleveland Clinic)
- Diarrhea that lasts more than three days after surgery (Cleveland Clinic)
- Constipation, or being unable to pass gas, for more than three days (Cleveland Clinic)
- Signs of dehydration: very dark urine, passing little urine, dizziness, extreme thirst
Raise at a routine appointment
- Loose stools, bloating or discomfort that continue for several weeks
- Pain after eating that keeps recurring
- Unexplained weight loss
- Any symptom that is affecting your daily life
For plain-English explanations, read when to call your doctor after gallbladder removal. See also our medical disclaimer.
Sources
- NHS: Gallbladder removal: recovery and risks and complications
- Cleveland Clinic: How to change your diet after gallbladder removal