Gallbladder Surgery
(Cholecystectomy)
What is the gallbladder
and gallstones?
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped sac found under the liver, which is important for the storage of bile. Bile is a digestive fluid that can sometimes deposit and form stones. These are commonly known as gallstones. Gallstones can cause obstruction of the gall bladder neck, bile duct and pancreatic duct leading to pain, jaundice and fever.
This can cause infection in the gallbladder cholecystitis or inflammation in the pancreas, pancreatitis. Both conditions may cause serious disease.
What is gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy)?
Gallbladder surgery, also referred to as cholecystectomy, is recommended for patients with gallstones that are causing symptoms, or for patients with gallbladder polyps larger than 10mm in size. A quarter of women over the age of forty have gallstones, however only a small proportion will have symptoms and require surgery. Over 95% of gallbladder surgeries are performed using a laparoscopic method, which is less painful and results in less time for recovery.
Preparation for a Cholecystectomy
Prior to the clinic visit, the clinic will request you to undertake a blood test called a liver function test and an abdominal ultrasound scan. Please bring the results of these investigations to your consultation with Dr Perera as it will help determine the management plan and reduce the number of clinic visits you need to attend before booking the procedure.
The Procedure
A laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed under general anaesthesia. The surgeon will perform the procedure by inserting surgical instruments through small 5-10mm incisions. A small tube containing a camera called a laparoscope will then be inserted into the abdomen and used to transmit images into a monitor for the surgeon to view.
During the procedure, your doctor will organize for imaging of your bile ducts through an intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC). This will help prevent injury to the bile ducts during the cholecystectomy. The gallbladder will then be carefully removed from the liver bed and it will be sent to the pathologist for inspection. Most patients will be admitted for overnight observation and discharged the next day.