I had mine taken out a couple of years ago. Its not a very invasive procedure anymore - just four small incisions. Mine was under semi-emergency circumstances so I stayed in the hospital for a day and a half after surgery, but I think its done as an outpatient procedure in some cases. And they give you really good drugs.
You'll probably have to be more careful with your diet after the surgery. But basically you'll just have to avoid large quantities of fat - it'll really upset your stomach. Basically what my doctor told me was that as long as I don't try to eat a bucket of fried chicken, I'll be fine.