Gallbladder Surgery

The gallbladder helps digest food by collecting and storing bile produced by the liver. Problems with your gallbladder can lead to repeated attacks of severe abdominal pain. Surgery to remove the gallbladder (called a cholecystectomy) can help relieve painful symptoms.

What is the gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a small organ that sits just below your liver on the upper right side of your abdomen. It stores the bile produced by the liver, which helps you digest food, particularly fatty food. When you eat, the gallbladder releases small amounts of bile into the small intestine, where it gets to work breaking down fats and helping to digest your food.

Why does the gallbladder cause problems?

Many people have issues with their gallbladder as they get older. Common problems include:

Gallstones

Sediment can build up to form ‘stones’ inside your gallbladder. These can be harmless, and you might not know you have them. Other times, they can be painful or make you feel sick, especially after eating fatty meals. Gallstones are common, especially for women, people who are overweight and if you have a family history of gallstones. If gallstones move down into the common bile duct they can cause pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), which can be mild or severe.

Cholecystitis

When the gallbladder gets inflamed, usually because gallstones have blocked the bile duct, it’s called cholecystitis. This causes fever and sickness and usually requires surgery to remove the gallbladder.

Your gallbladder is not an essential organ and most gallbladder issues can be resolved by removing your gallbladder through surgery. This procedure is called a cholecystectomy. After surgery, bile produced by the liver will flow directly from the bile ducts into your digestive system.

Step by step: gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy)

• A laparoscopic cholecystectomy uses minimally invasive keyhole surgery to remove the gallbladder under general anaesthetic.

• Four small incisions will be made in your abdomen for a laparoscope (tiny camera) and instruments to perform the surgery.

• The gallbladder and gallstones are removed through one of the incisions.

• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy takes less than an hour to complete.

• An open cholecystectomy involves a larger incision in the abdomen. This type of surgery is only used when keyhole surgery is not possible for clinical reasons.

After surgery: what to expect

You may be in hospital for 1-2 days after surgery to remove your gallbladder. In most cases, where there are no complications, you will be able to go home the next day.

Depending on your type of work, you should be able to return to work after 2 weeks but will need to avoid heavy lifting or strenuous exercise while your body heals from surgery.