Gallbladder surgery entails laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery to remove your gallbladder.
This is because you either have
- Gallstone pain (biliary colic) – pain related to eating fatty foods
- Infection in the gallbladder ( cholecystitis)
- Gallbladder growths (polyps) that are increasing in size on ultrasound
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) due to gallstones
The gallbladder stores bile made by the liver and releases it when a fat containing meal is eaten. Gallstones form due to crystallisation of the bile salts made by the liver, and if they block the gallbladder emptying during a meal then they cause pain. Occasionally they can block the main bile tube (common bile duct) potentially causing infection, jaundice, or pancreatitis (pancreatic inflammation).
The only effective method of treating gallstones is surgery. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, is a common operation, with low risks, and a one night stay in hospital.