I have also had my gall bladder removed in 1999.( Also unaware of alternatives) I had no complications to my knowledge, however I have always been suspicious of the fact that all doctors have told me that absolutely NO side effects occur after the surgery. Surely my body has had to make some changes to adapt to the loss of my organ. Apart from illness, can anyone direct me to information as to some general effects of the gall bladder removal? I'd like to know how my body has needed to change and how to adapt with it. Being only 19 yrs old at the time of surgery, I feel like my body aged afterwards. I feel like I gained weight (about 5-8 kilos) that my body has been reluctant to lose again. I may be able to attribute this to general growing. I think that I'll be taking the advice of others on this page and going through a Liver Flush process.