Gall Bladder Removal (Cholecystectomy)

Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder, which may need to be removed if it has become diseased or damaged. It is the most common method for treating symptomatic gallstones.

Surgical options include the standard procedure, called laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and an older more invasive procedure, called open cholecystectomy. A cholecystectomy is performed when attempts to treat gallstones with ultrasound to shatter the stones (lithotripsy) or medications to dissolve them have not proved feasible.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed as a keyhole surgery, and is usually done as a day case, although it may on occasion require an overnight stay.