Laparoscopic cholecystectomy

A cholecystectomy (pronounced co-lee-sist-ect-omy) is an operation to remove the gallbladder.

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped pouch in the upper-right part of your abdomen (tummy). It stores bile, the digestive fluid produced by the liver that helps to break down fatty foods.

Bile is made from cholesterol, bile salts and waste products. When these substances are out of balance, small, hard stones called gallstones can form. Gallstones often cause no symptoms and in many cases remain undetected. But they can cause pain, fever, jaundice, vomiting and nausea.

If your gallstones cause severe symptoms, you may be advised to have a cholecystectomy.

Types of cholecystectomy

There are two ways of performing a cholecystectomy:

Laparoscopic (keyhole) cholecystectomy

This is the most common way of having your gallbladder removed. The operation is carried out using a tiny camera and surgical instruments that are inserted through small incisions (cuts) in your abdomen.

It may soon be possible to have keyhole surgery through a small incision. This is due to be reviewed by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) in late 2010.

Open cholecystectomy

The gallbladder is removed through one large cut in your abdomen. This technique is called open surgery. It is a more invasive operation than keyhole surgery, you need to be in hospital for longer and it takes longer to recover. Open surgery is rare in modern practice.

Cholecystectomies (laparoscopic and open) are performed under general anaesthetic (you are asleep during it).