Had mine removed a dozen years ago as outpatient Laparoscopic surgery. I was out walking the dog that same afternoon and went to a party the next day. The surgery is really, really easy. Like all Laparoscopic surgery, you are pumped full of gas to separate your innards. As soon as you possibly can after surgery, you need to get up and walk around to help get the gas out of your system. Otherwise, it can cause pretty significant pain around your shoulders and neck.
I heal up pretty well and don't scar much so I actually have a hard time finding all four of the small incisions they made in my abdomen to do the surgery. In fact, during a physical several years ago, the doctor thought I must have been born without a gall bladder as it didn't show up in the ultrasound and he had completely overlooked the small scars. And this was before products like Scarzone that help minimize scarring.
As far as living without a gall bladder, the main effects for me seem to be digestive. I can't handle fats the way I once did so fatty foods like sausage can sometimes leave me in digestive distress. Also, it seems for me that when I feel the need to evacuate my bowels, I need to do so NOW. Not soon and definitely not eventually.
Your mileage may vary.
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