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Home / Health Library / Treatments & Procedures

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Gallbladder

Removal)
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is minimally invasive surgery to remove the
gallbladder. It helps people when gallstones cause inflammation, pain or
infection. The surgery involves a few small incisions, and most people go home
the same day and soon return to normal activities. Call your healthcare provider
if you have any problems after surgery.

 Appointm

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 CONT

 Procedure Details

 Risks / Benefits

 Recovery and Outlook

 When to Call the Doctor

OVERVIEW
What is a laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

A laparoscopic cholecystectomy is surgery to remove your gallbladder.

The surgeon makes a few small incisions on the right side of your abdomen
(belly). The surgeon uses one incision to insert a laparoscope, a thin tube with a
camera on the end. This shows your gallbladder on a screen. The gallbladder
then gets removed through another small incision.

A laparoscopic cholecystectomy is less invasive than an open cholecystectomy.

This other form of gallbladder removal involves a larger incision.

What is the gallbladder?

The gallbladder is an organ the shape and size of a small pear. It stores a
substance called bile made by the liver. It keeps the bile until the body needs it
to digest fatty foods.

Who needs to have gallbladder removal?

A laparoscopic cholecystectomy helps people with gallstones that are causing

pain and infection.

Gallstones are crystals that form in the gallbladder. They can block the flow of
bile out of the gallbladder into your digestive system. This roadblock
causes cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder). Gallstones can also move
to other parts of the body and cause problems.

Symptoms of gallstones include:

 Feeling bloated.
 Fever.
 Jaundice (yellow-looking skin).
 Nausea.
 Pain in the right side of the abdomen, which may reach the back or the
shoulder.

PROCEDURE DETAILS
How should I prepare for gallbladder removal?

Before the procedure, your healthcare team will perform certain tests, such as:

 Abdominal ultrasound.
 Blood work.
 Urinalysis (evaluation of the urine).

They will also talk to you about:

 Any medications you are taking.

 Your options for controlling pain during and after surgery.
 Your surgeon may ask you to avoid food and liquid for a few hours before
the procedure.
What happens right before laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

You will receive general anesthesia so that you sleep and have no pain during
the procedure. Once you’re out, your healthcare providers will place a tube
down your throat to help you breathe. They’ll place another tube — an IV line
— in your arm to deliver fluids and medications.

What happens during laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy takes about an hour or two. A surgeon will make

a few small incisions in your abdomen. The surgeon will insert thin, hollow
tubes into those incisions. The surgical team will then place a laparoscope and
other surgical tools into the tubes.

Your team may pump carbon dioxide into your abdomen. This step inflates the
surgical area and makes it easier to see inside. Using the special tools, the
surgeon will detach the gallbladder from the rest of the body and remove it. The
team will then close the incisions with stitches, surgical clips or surgical glue.

If any complications occur during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the surgeon

may decide to use an open cholecystectomy instead. That procedure involves a
larger incision.

What happens after laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

Your team will watch you for a few hours after surgery. They want to make sure
you wake up from the anesthesia without complications. They will check your
heart, breathing, blood pressure and ability to urinate (pee).