Gallbladder Surgery
A Gallbladder Surgery is a surgical procedure to remove your gallbladder — the small, hollow organ that stores bile for your digestive system. Gallbladder removal surgery is a common treatment for many types of gallbladder disease. This is because the downsides of having your gallbladder removed are generally fewer than those of the diseases it treats. You can live a healthy life without a gallbladder.
Is Gallbladder Surgery a major surgery?
Gallbladder Surgery is a common procedure with a typically easy recovery. It’s also one of the first procedures that’s become routinely performed using minimally invasive surgery techniques. These techniques, including laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery, use very small incisions of a half-inch or less to minimize trauma, pain and recovery time. While an open operation with a larger incision may occasionally be necessary, laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery is far more common today than open surgery.
Why is Gallbladder Surgery done?
You might need gallbladder removal surgery if gallbladder disease:
Unfortunately, this is the case with most of the conditions that can affect your gallbladder, including:
Gallstones are the most common reason for Gallbladder Surgery. While many people live with gallstones and never have problems with them, those who do have problems tend to have them repeatedly. A gallstone that gets stuck anywhere in your biliary tract can block the flow of bile, causing pain and illness. It might block the opening to your gallbladder, your common bile duct or your pancreatic duct.
What are the benefits of cholecystectomy?
Most gallstones develop inside your gallbladder, so removing your gallbladder significantly reduces the chance that you’ll have any more. If gallstones have brought you to the hospital once, they’re likely to do so again. Cholecystectomy is the only treatment that can reliably prevent this. Most people feel it’s easier to have a planned procedure than to expect to have repeat episodes of gallstone emergencies.
What are the risks of cholecystectomy?
There’s always a small risk of complications occurring during surgery. General risks of surgery include:
Specific risks of cholecystectomy include: