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Gallbladder surgery
Gallbladder surgery, also know as cholecystectomy, is a surgical procedure to remove gallbladder, a small organ located just below your liver in your right upper abdomen. Gallbladder is responsible for collecting and storing bile, a fluid produced by the liver that helps to digest food.
Cholecystectomy is normally performed when you have painful gallstones, small stones produced in your gallbladder as a result of an imbalance in the chemical make-up of bile.
Normal digestion is possible without a gallbladder, and hence gallbladder surgery is normally recommended when patients develop severe symptoms with it. Gallbladder surgery is a common procedure.
In many cases, people will not have symptoms but sometimes gallstones can block your bile ducts, which can lead to more serious complications. You should see a doctor if you experience these symptoms:
• sudden and severe tummy pain
• yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
• nausea or vomiting
• back pain between your shoulder blades, or right shoulder
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Who is it suitable for
✔ People diagnosed with gallstones
✔ Patients experiencing sudden and severe tummy pain in the right subcostal region
✔ People feeling and being sick
✔ Patients who had previous inflammation of gallbladder
Treatment duration
✔ Cholecystectomy surgery normally takes less than 1 hours but might take longer
✔ Depending on the complexity and selected procedure, it can be performed either as outpatient or inpatient (requiring you to stay for a night at the hospital)
Recovery
✔ Most patients can return to work and their normal daily activities after about 2 weeks
✔ It takes longer to recover from open surgery. You may need to stay in hospital for 3 to 5 days and it could be 6 to 8 weeks before you're feeling back to normal
Types Of Gallbladder Surgery
When it comes to gallbladder surgery, there are two main types of cholecystectomy
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the most popular gallbladder surgery. This procedure involves inserting a tiny tube with a video camera and special surgical tools through the four small incisions to see the inside of your abdomen and remove the gallbladder. Now there is a big number of video camera and different types of equipment available to make the surgery as smooth as possible. This is a safe and effective procedure, recovery is usually quicker than with open surgery.
Open cholecystectomy
Open cholecystectomy is a traditional surgery to remove gallbladder. It is used much less nowadays and is mostly performed when laparoscopic cholecystectomy cannot be done. Sometimes it is done when a repeat operation is needed and the previous treatment has failed. Also, it can be done when there is an extensive bleeding or there is an injury of the bile duct. Open surgery procedure involves making an incision, pulling back muscle and tissue to get access to liver and gallbladder, and then removing the gallbladder.
Before The Treatment
Before scheduling the treatment, you will need to meet with a doctor to perform an examination and run several tests.
• Medical history - You should provide a complete medical history including your past and current medical conditions, and medications that you are taking.
• Diagnostics, tests - In order to understand if you have gallstones and how it affects your health, a doctor is going to order an ultrasound test, and may ask you to do additional tests such as MRI HIDA, endoscopic ultrasonography and blood tests.
• Treatment plan - Your doctor should explain you different types of surgery methods, potential risks, recovery and determine treatment plan for you.
You will be advised by your doctor how to prepare for the procedure which may include dietary and medication requirements. It's recommended that you arrange for help during recovery and drive you home from a hospital.
What does it involve?
You will be advised by your doctor how to prepare for the procedure which may include dietary and medication requirements. It's recommended that you arrange for help during recovery and drive you home from a hospital.
• Cholecystectomy is generally performed under general anaesthetic.
• The procedure will start with making an incision in the abdomen area, under the ribs on the right side. For laparoscopic surgery, several small incisions might be needed.
• In case of laparoscopic surgery, CO2 gas will be used to inflate your abdomen to enlarge the cavity for better visibility of the surgical area.
• Muscles and tissue is then pulled back to get access to liver and gallbladder.
• Depending on the surgery type, there will be different techniques used to remove your gallbladder.
• Drain tubes may be placed to drain any excess of fluid and blood.
• When the operation is done sutures are applied to close the incisions.
• An abdominal bandage may be applied to reduce swelling and bruising.
Cholecystectomy operation usually takes less than 1 hour but can take longer.
After the treatment
Your recovery and how quickly you can return to work largely depends on your treatment type and complexity of the operation. Most patients can return to work and their normal daily activities after about 2 weeks. For open surgery it takes longer to recover and you may need 6 to 8 weeks before resuming normal activities.
Some patients can experience some diarrhea after surgery but this should go away after couple of weeks. Your doctor may advise you to have a special diet during your recovery. Patients should try eat healthy and balanced diet.
You need to care for your incision wounds while you recover. You may need to take antibiotics after the operation to reduce the risk of infection. It is common to have some bruising and swelling but it should resolve in couple of weeks. It normally takes at least 6 weeks to resume strenuous exercise.
Risks
As with any major surgery, gallbladder surgery carries risks such as:
• wound infection
• bile leaking into the tummy
• damage to one of the openings (ducts) carrying bile out of the liver
• blood clots
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