Gallbladder Removal Surgery – Cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gall bladder, which is a pear-shaped organ lying on the upper right side of the abdomen, just below the liver. The gallbladder plays an important role in digestion, by secreting bile into the digestive tract, which emulsifies (‘breaks down’) fats in the food. However, in certain cases, removal of the gallbladder may be necessary and while this does affect digestion of fats, it is not essential to sustaining life.

Indications for Cholecystectomy

A surgical removal of the gallbladder may be considered in certain cases like :

• Cholelithiasis is the formation of a ’stone’ (gallstone) or calculus in the gall bladder. Surgery would only be considered in a recurrent case of cholelithiasis.
• Cholecystitis is the inflammation of the gall bladder and persistent cholecystitis may be an indication for gallbladder removal.
• Carcinoma of the gall bladder

Signs & Symptoms

Certain signs and symptoms may be an indication of the above disorders, which will prompt a cholecystectomy.

• Right upper abdominal pain or the epigastric region.
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Indigestion (Refer to Causes of Gas Bloating & Flatulence)
• Jaundice

Refer to the article on Gallbladder Pain & Other Symptoms of Gallbladder Disease for more signs and symptoms.

Gallbladder Surgery Procedure

Before considering removal, your doctor will conduct a range of gallbladder tests. A cholecystectomy is performed under general anesthetic and one of two methods may be used :

Open cholecystectomy

In this method, a 4 to 6 inch incision is made in the right upper portion of the abdomen, just below the ribs. The liver is retracted to allow better access to the gallbladder and the organ is removed. The abdominal layers are closed by sutures.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy

In this method, a tiny incision is made just below the umbilicus, through which the laparoscope is inserted into the abdomen. The laparoscope is a thin, flexible scope with a camera at the end, which projects a magnified image of the area to be operated, onto a monitor. A surgeon skillfully guides the scope to the site and three tiny incisions are made at the upper right side of the abdomen to insert the minute surgical instruments necessary for the procedure.

If available, a laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery is usually the procedure of choice, due to the lower risk of complications, quicker procedure with faster healing time and less scarring.