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Gallbladder removal - open
Definition
Open gallbladder removal is surgery to remove the gallbladder.
Alternative Names
Cholecystectomy - open
Description
In gallbladder removal surgery, a surgeon makes a large incision (cut) in your belly to open it up and see the area. The surgeon then removes your gallbladder by reaching in through the incision and gently lifting it out.
Surgery is done while you are under general anesthesia (unconscious and unable to feel pain).
The surgeon will make a 5 to 7 inch incision in the upper right part of your belly, just below your ribs. The surgeon will cut the bile duct and blood vessels that lead to the gallbladder. Then your gallbladder will be removed.
A special x-ray called a cholangiogram will be done during the surgery. This involves squirting some dye into your common bile duct. This duct will be left inside you after your gallbladder has been removed. The dye helps locate other stones that may be outside your gallbladder. If any are found, the surgeon may be able to remove these other stones with a special medical instrument.
Open gallbladder removal surgery takes about an hour.
Risks
Talk with your doctor about any of these risks.
The risks for any anesthesia are:
- Reactions to drugs you are given
- Breathing problems
- Pneumonia
- Heart problems
- Blood clots in the legs or in the lungs
The risks for gallbladder surgery are:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Injury to the common bile duct
- Injury to the small intestine
Reviewed By: Robert J. Fitzgibbons, Jr., MD, FACS, Harry E. Stuckenhoff Professor of Surgery, Chief of General Surgery, and Associate Chairman, Department of Surgery, Creighton University School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
