Cholecystectomy (patient information)

Cholecystectomy
Overview
How is Cholecystectomy done?
Who needs Cholecystectomy?
Where to find centers that perform Cholecystectomy?
What are the risks of Cholecystectomy?
What to expect before Cholecystectomy?
What to expect after Cholecystectomy?
Results
Videos
Cholecystectomy On the Web
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
Images of Cholecystectomy
Videos on Cholecystectomy
FDA on Cholecystectomy
CDC on Cholecystectomy
Cholecystectomy in the news
Blogs on Cholecystectomy
Directions to Hospitals Performing Cholecystectomy

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor-in-Chief: Mohammed A. Sbeih, M.D. [2] Phone:617-849-2629

Overview

Cholecystectomy is surgery to remove the gallbladder. It can be either open or laparoscopic. Open gallbladder removal is surgery to remove the gallbladder. Laparoscopic gallbladder removal is surgery to remove the gallbladder using a medical device called a laparoscope.

In gallbladder removal surgery, a surgeon makes a large incision (cut) in your belly to open it up and see the area. The surgeon then removes your gallbladder by reaching in through the incision and gently lifting it out. Surgery is done while you are under general anesthesia (unconscious and unable to feel pain). The surgeon will make a 5 to 7 inch incision in the upper right part of your belly, just below your ribs. The surgeon will cut the bile duct and blood vessels that lead to the gallbladder. Then your gallbladder will be removed. A special x-ray called a cholangiogram will be done during the surgery. This involves squirting some dye into your common bile duct. This duct will be left inside you after your gallbladder has been removed. The dye helps locate other stones that may be outside your gallbladder. If any are found, the surgeon may be able to remove these other stones with a special medical instrument. Open gallbladder removal surgery takes about an hour.

Using a laparoscope is the most common way to remove the gallbladder. A laparoscope is a thin, lighted tube that lets the doctor see inside your belly. Gallbladder removal surgery is done while you are under general anesthesia (unconscious and not able to feel pain). The surgeon will make 3 to 4 small cuts in your belly. The laparoscope will be inserted through 1 of the cuts. Other medical instruments will be inserted through the other cuts. Gas will be pumped into your belly to expand it. This gives the surgeon more space to work. First, the surgeon cuts the bile duct and blood vessels that lead to the gallbladder. Then the surgeon removes the gallbladder, using the laparoscope. Sometimes the surgeon cannot safely take out the gallbladder using a laparoscope. In this case, the surgeon will instead do an open cholecystectomy.

Why the procedure is performed?

Your doctor may recommend gallbladder removal surgery if you have gallstones or your gallbladder is not functioning normally (biliary dyskinesia). You may have some or all of these symptoms:

• Pain after eating, usually in the upper right or upper middle area of your belly (epigastric pain)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Indigestion
• Infection

Most people have fewer problems and a shorter hospital stay when their gallbladder is removed using a laparoscope compared to people who have open surgery. You will also have smaller incisions.

What are the risks of the procedure?

The risks for any anesthesia include:

• Reactions to drugs you are given.
• Breathing problems.
• Pneumonia.
• Heart problems.
• Blood clots in the legs or lungs.

The risks for gallbladder surgery include:

• Bleeding.
• Infection in your belly.
• Injury to the common bile duct.
• Injury to the small intestine.
• Pancreatitis (inflammation in the pancreas).

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002930.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007371.htm