Cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Removal)

A cholecystectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ located in the upper right abdomen—the area between the chest and hips—below the liver. The gallbladder collects and stores bile, a digestive fluid produced in the liver.Cholecystectomy may be required where there is pain from gallstones that block the flow of bile. 

By BruceBlaus (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Symptomatic Gallstones

Cholecystectomy is used to treat symptomatic gallstones; that is, those causing pain and/or inflammation in the gallbladder, bile ducts or pancreas:

• Gallstones in the Gallbladder (Cholelithiasis)
• Gallstones in the Bile Duct (Choledocholithiasis)
• Gallbladder Inflammation (Cholecystitis)
• Pancreas Inflammation (Pancreatitis)

By BruceBlaus (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Surgical Approaches

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.

For more information, see: 

Cholecystectomy Surgical Removal of the Gallbladder - American College Of Surgeons

The following is syndicated content from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)