Gallbladder removal is surgery to remove the gallbladder.

Gallbladder removal surgery is done while you are under general anesthesia (unconscious and pain-free).

There are two types of gallbladder removal surgery.

• Open cholecystectomy
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is most commonly done. This procedure is less invasive than open cholecystectomy and requires smaller surgical cuts. It uses a thin, lighted tube called a laparoscope, which lets the doctor see inside your abdomen. For this procedure, the surgeon makes about four small cuts in the belly area and inserts the laparoscope. Carbon dioxide enters the belly area, which helps lift the abdomen up, so the surgeon has more space to work. The surgeon cuts the duct and vessels going to the gallbladder and removes the organ.

In complicated cases, an open cholecystectomy may be performed. A larger surgical cut is made just below the ribs on the right side of the abdomen. The vessels and ducts going to the gallbladder are cut and closed with clips, and the gallbladder is removed.

Laparoscopic surgery is often associated with a lower rate of complications, a shorter hospital stay, and better cosmetic results than the open procedure.

Gallbladder removal surgery is usually done to treat the following conditions:

• Gallbladder disease
  • Choledocholithiasis
  • Infection or inflammation (cholecystitis)
  • Gallbladder cancer
• Abnormal gallbladder function (biliary dyskinesia)

The risks for any anesthesia include:

• Reactions to medications
• Problems breathing

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Injury to the common bile duct

Most patients do very well and recover rapidly.

Patients who have an open cholecystectomy generally need about 2 weeks for recovery.

Those who have laparoscopic gallbladder surgery usually have shorter hospital stays, and may be home within 24 hours. Recovery time is likely to be shorter as well.

Siddiqui T. Early versus delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Am J Surg. Jan 2008; 195(1): 40-7.

Chari RS, Shah SA. Biliary System. In: Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery, 18th ed. St. Louis, M0: WB Saunders; 2008: chap. 54.

Diseases of the Gallbladder and Bile Ducts. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap. 159.