Surgery
for gallstones
The first keyhole operation for gallstones (laparoscopic
cholecystectomy) was performed in France in 1987. This has
now become very routine surgery and the vast majority of
gallbladder surgery is now performed laparoscopically.
Gallstones are extremely common and may or may not cause
symptoms. When they do the main symptom is pain, often
after food, which can be severe. It usually occurs in the
right upper side of the abdomen and often goes around to
the back. It can last from a few minutes to several hours
and may be associated with vomiting. The pain often makes
patients very restless. Other symptoms include non-specific
indigestion, jaundice and sometimes an attack of
pancreatitis can be the first manifestation of the problem
The diagnosis may be obvious to your doctor on the story
alone. He will need to arrange an ultrasound scan to
confirm the diagnosis. If you have been jaundiced you will
need to have some blood tests and a special type of scan to
see whether any stones have escaped from the gallbladder
into the bile duct (a tube leading from the liver to the
intestine). You may need to have any stones in the bile
duct removed before your operation by a special type of
endoscopy called an ERCP.
If your doctor determines that you need surgery you will be
offered a keyhole operation although there is a small
chance (normally<5%) that this will not prove to be
possible. The operation is carried out under general
anaesthetic and lasts for about 1 hour. You will have 4
cuts, the largest of which will be only 1cm in length. The
entire gallbladder and stones within it are removed through
one of the tiny incisions. You will normally be able to go
home the same or the following day and there need be no
restrictions on your activity after the operation. Most
patients are ready to go back to work around 14 days after
the operation.
Complications are unusual but can occur. Damage to the bile
duct is a rare but serious complication (0.05%).
Collections of fluid can accumulate where the gallbladder
used to be and these can cause discomfort. They usually
settle down without treatment but occasionally need
draining. Other complications such as bleeding and wound
infection can occur but are rare events.
As with any keyhole operation it is important for you to be
sure that your surgeon has adequate experience of the
technique of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
For more
information please visit our 'Patient Information' page where
you can download information sheets relating to the
specific operations.