Surgery for gallstones

Gallstones are a relatively common disease that affects about 10 percent of people. The risk of gallstones increases with age. People who are at highest risk for developing gallstones are:

• women over 20 years of age
• men over 60 years of age
• Native Americans
• Mexican-Americans
• overweight men and women
• people who fast or lose a lot of weight quickly
• pregnant women and
• women on birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy

Small gallstones may pass unnoticed through the bile duct leading from the gallbladder and into the intestine. Large stones can become stuck in the neck of the gallbladder. This causes cramps and pain. The area where the stone is stuck may become inflamed and infected.

Medical treatment is almost always necessary. Gallstones do not go away on their own. There are some temporary short-term treatments. However, the symptoms eventually will return and continue until the gallbladder is removed.

There are two ways to remove the gallbladder. The first is with a big cut in the abdomen, called a cholecystectomy. It requires about 6 weeks to recover from this surgery.

The second and most common procedure is a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Several small cuts are made in the abdomen. A laparoscope (a thin flexible telescope) is placed into the first small cut to look inside the abdomen. Other instruments are put into the abdomen through the other cuts. These instruments are used to remove the gallbladder. Occasionally, a laser may be used to help remove the gallbladder. Patients usually go home the day after surgery and return to light work in 3 to 7 days.

People with large stones, gangrene of the gallbladder, or scar tissue around the gallbladder may require open surgery using the larger cut. Sometimes the laparoscopic procedure using the small cuts is changed to the open surgery. If the surgeon has trouble seeing the gallbladder or there is scarring from a previous surgery, it may be necessary to change to the open surgery. Other reasons the surgery may be changed include, bleeding that cannot be controlled, or a very large stone.

Use a board-certified surgeon and find out before the surgery which type of surgery is planned, the options available to you, and the risks involved.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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