Cholecystectomy  (Gallbladder Removal)?

A cholecystectomy (koh-luh-sis-TEK-tuh-me) is a surgical procedure to remove your gallbladder — a pear-shaped organ that sits just below your liver on the upper right side of your abdomen. Your gallbladder collects and stores bile — a digestive fluid produced in your liver. Cholecystectomy may be required where there is pain from gallstones that block the flow of bile.

Cholecystectomy  procedure

Conservative treatments, such as dietary modifications, usually do not stop gallstones from recurring. Cholecystectomy is the only way to prevent the new formation of gallstones.

Cholecystectomy is a common surgical procedure, carrying only a small risk of complications. Cholecystectomy is most often a minimally invasive surgery (MIS) performed by inserting a tiny video camera (a laparoscope) and special surgical tools through four small incisions so the surgeon can visualize the abdomen and remove the gallbladder. This is called a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The benefits of this surgery include less pain, a shorter hospital stay, and a faster return to work and normal activities.

Where the surgery cannot be performed laparoscopically, an operation using a single large incision, called an open cholecystectomy, is used to remove the gallbladder.

The surgery is usually successful in relieving symptoms, but up to 10% of people may continue to experience similar symptoms after cholecystectomy, a condition called postcholecystectomy syndrome.

Why it’s done

A cholecystectomy is most commonly performed to treat gallstones and the complications they cause. Your doctor may recommend a cholecystectomy if you have:

  • Gallstones in the gallbladder (cholelithiasis)
  • Gallstones in the bile duct (choledocholithiasis)
  • Gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis)
  • Pancreas inflammation (pancreatitis) due to gallstones

Post-OP  for Cholecystectomy   

After surgery, most patients are admitted to the hospital for routine monitoring. For uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomies, people may be discharged on the day of surgery after adequate control of pain and nausea. Patients who were high-risk, those who required emergency surgery, and/or those undergoing open cholecystectomy usually need to stay in the hospital several days after surgery

Side effect Cholecystectomy 

A cholecystectomy carries a small risk of complications including:

  • Bile leak
  • Bleeding
  • Blood clots
  • Heart problems
  • Infection
  • Injury to nearby structures, such as the bile duct, liver and small intestine
  • Pancreatitis