Hernias & Gallstones

If you have gallstones, doctor usually recommends surgery – removal of gallbladder or cholecystectomy.

Two surgical techniques are routinely used these days:

Laparoscopic gallblnadder removal (keyhole surgery)

These days, it is the most common method to remove the gallbladder. A doctor makes a few (3-4) small incisions to insert surgical instruments inside your abdomen. One of these incisions is usually located at the umbilicus. An abdomen is inflated with the carbon dioxide, to create space for surgery; the gallbladder is freed and removed through one of the incesions. The main advantage of this technique is rapid recovery and excellent cosmetic results.

Open gallbladder removal

This is a traditional technique, and these days it is mainly reserved for patients with gallstone complications or when keyhole surgery cannot be performed (severe gallbladder scaring or inflamation). Surgeon performs incision just under the ribs to access the gallbladder. It is a more invasive procedure compared to keyhole surgery, associated with more pain and requires longer post-operative recovery.

Alternatively, in a selective group of patients non-surgical treatment can be offered. This includes bile salt therapy (stones dissolving medication) and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (using sound wave to shatter stones). Unfortunately these methods frequently cannot completely remove stones.

Benefits of gallbladder surgery

• Control and prevent gallstones symptoms, mainly pain.
• Preventing gallstones complications.

Risk of gallbladder surgery

In the majority of cases gallbladder removal is a low risk procedure. The most common complications include bleeding and infection and they are easy to manage. Serious complications (damage to the bile duct and bile leak) are rare, but sometimes additional surgery is required to deal with them.