My GF had a laparoscopy a few years ago where they removed a 10cm cyst. She was home the next day, and that was only because they had a slight concern. She had another one a few weeks ago, first one under the knife, home the same day.

Still 4-6 weeks of recovery, but that's mostly due to them having to inflate the abdominal cavity to be able to see / work and a bit of bruising and shifting of stuff.

My gallbladder removal 5 years ago was outpatient surgery. I went in around 7am and was home on the couch by mid afternoon. Gave up the serious pain meds the next day since the side effects (zero attention span) were more annoying than the bit of pain. It's amazing how far we've come for some medical treatments.

>> Gave up the serious pain meds the next day since the side effects (zero attention span) were more annoying than the bit of pain.

Next time you can try Ibuprofen + Tylenol, to avoid mentioned side effects.

Ibuprofen Plus Acetaminophen Equals Opioid Plus Acetaminophen for Acute Severe Extremity Pain: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2018/0301/p348.html

I was a little disappointed I did not get any opioid analgesics after the procedure, but on the plus side, I did not need it. I got Metamizole (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamizole) on the first day and was told I could ask for more on the second day, but the pain was negligible, so I did not ask for more.

I had my gallbladder out in 2010, three day stay as well, and while I took a few days to get back to being able to walk comfortably (this was pre-lifting so I was a scrawny weak guy generally so took longer to recover) it was still amazing how quickly you could bounce back from having an organ removed.

But also - how much of that is medical progress, and how much of that is ballooning costs coupled with insurance companies refusing to cover more than the absolute minimum (and in some cases much less than what really should be the minimum for the sake of safe recovery)?

Good question. I think the medical progress is tremendous. My grandfather needed weeks before he could sit up again without serious pain, and he had a scar that went all across his abdomen. I had four small incisions (the largest was about 2cm long) and was on my legs and walking around without trouble the next day. I did not even need or get serious pain medication. As long as I stayed in the hospital, the doctor looked at the incisions every day to see if there was any sign of inflammation or infection. About the only serious discomfort I had was from the gas they used to inflate my abdominal cavity; but that was not so much painful as uncomfortable.

As far as I can tell, gall bladder removal is a fairly routine procedure by now, and the risks and possible complications are well enough understood that a competent surgeon can tell after three days if the procedure went well or if there are any problems. (Also, they told me to come back immediately if I experienced any pain or fever, or the incisions appeared not to heal properly.)

I Germany, hospitals usually get flat fee per case depending on the diagnosis, so there is an incentive to release patients as soon as possible. But all the doctors and nurses I have met so far take the health of their patients very seriously, and I do not believe they would release somebody who was still in need of medical care. Plus, ethical considerations aside, that might incur legal repercussions for the hospital and the doctor ordering the release, even in Germany.

I was home the next day after having mine out. It sucked for a couple of days as my body absorbed the gases they pumped my body up with, but then it was fine.

Tells you a thing or two about the social nature of applied sciences.

It is indeed progress, all that time spend among the sick and not moving around is very hurtful to the human body. It is mainly that realization that causes the difference, and not better surgical techniques I think.

Mmmh, one large scar across your abdomen (~20cm, I think in case of my grandfather) vs. four incisions about 1cm each makes a huge difference.

Being able to get up and move around on the next day vs. having to lie in bed for weeks certainly makes a difference psychologically, but the laparoscopic procedure does put a much smaller burden on the body, too.