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What Is Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy?
The surgery to remove the gallbladder is called a cholecystectomy (chol-e-cys-tec-to-my). The gallbladder is removed through a 5 to 8 inch long incision, or cut, in your abdomen. The cut is made just below your ribs on the right side and goes to just below your waist. This is called open cholecystectomy.
A less invasive way to remove the gallbladder is called laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This surgery uses a laparoscope (an instrument used to see the inside of your body) to remove the gallbladder. It is performed through several small incisions rather than through one large incision.
Approximately ten percent of Americans will develop gallstone disease (cholelithiasis) in their lifetime. Most often the stones cause no symptoms and their presence goes unrecognized. The most common symptom complex is biliary colic, characterized by abdominal pain localized to the right upper abdomen, which often follows large or excessively fatty meals. Symptoms of biliary colic may include pain radiating to the right shoulder, nausea, and excessive flatulence and/or belching. Patients usually improve without intervention, but bouts often recur.
Gallstones may also cause other concerns including cholecystitis (infection of the gallbladder), gallstone pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), jaundice, or cholangitis (infection of the ducts connecting the gallbladder with the liver and small intestine). Medical evidence exists to suggest that long-standing gallstone disease may eventually lead to cancer of the gallbladder, a very aggressive and often deadly tumor. Other indications for cholecystectomy include prophylactic removal of the gallbladder in patients with cholelithiasis who are scheduled to undergo organ transplantation, or in patients with a calcified (porcelain) gallbladder, thought to be associated with gallbladder cancer. Rarer indications include trauma, biliary dyskinesis, and symptomatic gallbladder polyps.
Your risk of complications depends on your overall health and the reason for your cholecystectomy. Emergency cholecystectomy carries a higher risk of complications than does a planned cholecystectomy.
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