Cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. Despite the development of non-surgical techniques, it is the most common method for treating symptomatic gallstones, although there are other indications for the procedure, including carcinoma. Each year more than 500,000 Americans have gallbladder surgery. Surgery 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.

Surgical removal of the gallbladder, a procedure called cholecystectomy, is the most widely used therapy for gallstones, although this procedure is now mostly done laparoscopically. Though in some cases, due to infections or other surgeries, this traditional form of cholecystectomy will be performed. Four or five days of hospitalization are generally required for this procedure. Patients often do well after surgery and have no difficulty with digesting food