Following gallbladder removal, some patients experience regular loose, watery stools (cholecystectomy). Most instances of diarrhea persist only a few weeks to a few months. However, some patients may continue to have occasional episodes of diarrhea for many years after their surgery. Diarrhea is the passage of three or more unformed bowel movements in a 24-hour period. It is usually not painful and does not require medical attention unless it is severe or persists for longer than two weeks. If you are having recurrent problems with diarrhea, talk with your doctor about other possible causes. The function of the gallbladder is to store and release bile. Bile is made from blood cells, nutrients, and toxins dissolved in fluid that flows into the intestine when you eat food. The gallbladder stores this material until it is needed by cells of the small intestine to digest fat and proteins. At this time, special enzymes in the bile help break down these fats and proteins into smaller molecules that can be absorbed through the intestinal wall. The remaining materials are then passed out of the body in urine or feces. Bile is either black or yellow depending on how it is processed. Black bile results from the breakdown of red blood cells; yellow bile results from the breakdown of dietary substances.