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Pathology review and staging scans over a few weeks, a second operation at a liver centre about four to eight weeks after the first, two to three months to recover, six months of capecitabine tablets, then five years of check-ups.
Typical sequence for Found by chance after gallbladder removal (T1b or deeper) disease; durations are protocol values (cycle counts and lengths, fraction schedules, guideline follow-up intervals), not averages of real patients. Your team's plan will differ in detail.
The gallbladder removed for stones is examined; a tumour staged T1b or deeper leads to a CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis (often MRI) and review at a hepatobiliary multidisciplinary team meeting. The NHS says results can take several weeks.
SourceRemoval of the gallbladder bed (liver segments IVb and V) and the portal lymph nodes, with the bile duct if the cystic duct margin was positive; Macmillan expects 1 to 2 days in intensive care and about 7 to 10 days in hospital. A US multicentre study found survival was best when this happened about four to eight weeks after the first operation.
SourceEating and weight need to be stable before chemotherapy; bloating, wind and diarrhoea after the operation usually improve within a few weeks (Macmillan).
SourceSix months of capecitabine tablets, the standard after biliary cancer surgery since BILCAP.
SourceCancer Research UK: follow-up typically every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for 3 years, with blood tests at most visits and scans when needed; contact the team about any new symptom between visits.
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