When it is recommended
Most commonly for recurrent right-upper-abdominal pain caused by gallstones, for inflammation of the gall bladder (cholecystitis), for gallstone-related pancreatitis once the acute episode has settled, and occasionally for gall-bladder polyps that meet surgical criteria.
Removing the gall bladder resolves symptoms and prevents future attacks.
How the operation is performed
Four small keyhole incisions are made in the upper abdomen, each 5–10 mm. Carbon dioxide gas gently inflates the abdomen to create working space.
A laparoscope (a thin camera) shows the view on a monitor while fine instruments carefully free the gall bladder from the liver bed and from the cystic duct and artery, which are clipped and divided. The gall bladder is removed through the navel incision.
Typical operating time is 45–90 minutes under general anaesthetic.
Recovery
Most patients are discharged the same day. Mild soreness at the incision sites for 5–7 days is normal and controlled with simple analgesia. Office work is usually possible within a week; driving, exercise and heavy lifting in 2–3 weeks. A follow-up visit is scheduled at 2 weeks to check wounds and review any histology.
Living without a gall bladder
Life without a gall bladder is entirely normal. Bile continues to flow from the liver into the intestine, just more continuously rather than being stored and released after meals. A minority of patients have slightly looser stools for the first few weeks; this typically settles on its own.
When to call the clinic
Fever above 38 °C, expanding abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, or any yellowing of the skin or eyes in the first two weeks should prompt a call. Wound redness, discharge or increasing pain at an incision site is also worth flagging early.