In Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Surgery), your doctor makes a few small incisions, to access the gallbladder. In most cases, people can go home the same after gallbladder surgery and can resume their daily activities in a couple of days.
What is Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Surgery)?
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Surgery) is prescribed to remove the gallbladder. This is one of the safest surgical procedures performed by a general surgeon. However, every surgical procedure has its own risks and complications.
In this procedure, the surgeon makes a few small incisions on the right section of the abdomen. The surgeon accesses the gallbladder with the help of a laparoscope and other surgical tools used in the surgery. A laparoscope is a small thin tube with a camera on top.
Laparoscopic surgery is a less invasive procedure as compared to open surgery. In open gallbladder removal surgery, the surgeon makes one large incision to remove the gallbladder.
What do we understand by the gallbladder?
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ positioned underneath the liver. The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver and further, it moves to the digestive system to help break down the fat.
Why do I need to remove the gallbladder?
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a surgical procedure that helps to treat gallstones causing pain and infection.
Gallstones are solid deposits generally made of cholesterol that collect in the gallbladder and develop into gallstones. These gallstones can obstruct the bile flow from the gallbladder to the small intestines. This medical condition is known as cholecystitis also known as gallbladder inflammation.
Gallstones Symptoms:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain on the right side of the abdomen.
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Jaundice (change in skin to yellow)
How to prepare for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy – Gallbladder Removal Surgery?
Before your gallbladder removal surgery, your doctor will perform a couple of tests, that include:
- Blood Tests
- Abdominal Ultrasound
- Urine test
In case, you’re taking any blood-thinning medicine or any other medicine, it is mandatory to make your doctor aware of them. Your doctor will also talk to you about your diet before surgery. Before surgery, you need to avoid solid food and liquid for at least a couple of hours.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Procedure
Before the laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure, your doctor will give general anesthesia to sleep, and you will not feel any pain during the surgery.
The surgeon makes a couple of small incisions on the abdomen to access the gallbladder. The surgeon inserts a small thin tube through one of these incisions also called a laparoscope along with other special surgical tools.
In this procedure, the surgeon pumps the carbon dioxide to inflate the surgical site and it helps the surgeon view inside the abdomen. Once the gallbladder is located the surgeon removes the gallbladder and closes the incision with sutures.
In a few cases, during the laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery, your surgeon might switch to open surgery due to certain complications.
Benefits of Removing the Gallbladder
For individuals who have pain due to gallstones or an infection caused by gallstones, it is always recommended to remove the gallbladder. It will also prevent gallstones from coming back.
If the gallstones are ignored and not treated on time, they may get worse with time. It can also burst the gallbladder which can be a life-threatening condition for an individual.
Benefits of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Procedure
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy at Southlake General Surgery, Texas, is performed by Dr. Valeria Simone MD, she is an experienced board-certified general surgeon at Southlake General Surgery, Texas. According to Dr. Simone, there are certain health benefits of this procedure for a patient such as:
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Fast Recovery after the gallbladder removal surgery
- Less pain and complications
- Smaller scars
Risk and Complications of the Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Every surgical procedure comes with its own risks and complications. Similarly, laparoscopic cholecystectomy has some risks too. However, these risks are rare, and it includes:
- Anesthesia complications.
- Bile is leaking into the body.
- Bleeding.
- Numbness in the surgical site.
- Injury to the bile duct or other organs such as the liver, or intestines.
- Leakage of the bile in the body.
- Hernia.
- Urinary tract infection.
- Small scars from the surgical wounds.
Recovery Time After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Surgery)
After a laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure, an individual can go home the same if there are no complications. However, in open cholecystectomy, an individual needs to stay in the hospital for a few days.
What should I do after the gallbladder surgery?
After gallbladder surgery, your doctor will share the self-care instructions along with guidelines on diet after gallbladder surgery. You need to adhere to the instructions for faster recovery and wound care. These instructions include:
- Eat high-fiber food.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Avoid lifting heavy objects.
- Small walk to prevent blood clots.
- Adhere to the doctor’s instructions provided at the time of discharge.
After gallbladder removal surgery, an individual can resume normal activities in a day or two. You can also resume office work and do other activities after one week also avoid lifting heavy objects until you completely recover. You can resume your sexual and physical activities after a week or two.
Complications of the gallbladder removal surgery
In case, you face any of the listed complications after the gallbladder surgery. You can contact your doctor.
- High Fever or chills
- Vomiting
- No stools passed for three days
- Redness or bleeding from the surgical wound
- Cramps in the abdomen
- Experience severe pain in the abdomen
- Yellow skin.
Conclusion
The laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Surgery) procedure helps remove the gallstones and prevent them from coming back. Gallstones can be painful and life-threatening for an individual if this medical condition is not treated on time. Many individuals who had minimally invasive surgery fully recovered in a couple of weeks and resumed their normal activities.
In case, you experience any complications after the gallbladder surgery, you can contact your doctor immediately.
Make an Appointment
For more information on Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy – Gallbladder Surgery or consultation with Dr. Valeria Simone, MD, you can contact our healthcare expert today at +1 (817) 748-0200 for quick appointments.
Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Valeria Simone MD
Board-certified General Surgeon at Southlake General Surgery, Texas, USA.
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References:
- Hassler, K. R., Collins, J. T., Philip, K., & Jones, M. W. (2023, January 23). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448145/
- Laparoscopic gallbladder removal: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (n.d.). https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007371.htm
- Radunovic M, Lazovic R, Popovic N, Magdelinic M, Bulajic M, Radunovic L, Vukovic M, Radunovic M. Complications of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Our Experience from a Retrospective Analysis. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2016 Dec 15;4(4):641-646. doi: 10.3889/oamjms.2016.128. Epub 2016 Nov 9. PMID: 28028405; PMCID: PMC5175513.
- Website, N. (2024, January 29). Gallbladder removal. nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gallbladder-removal/