Overview
What the gallbladder does
The gallbladder is a small organ beneath the liver that stores and concentrates bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver that helps digest fats.
Gallstones
Symptoms and treatment
Gallstones are common and often cause no symptoms. When a stone temporarily blocks the gallbladder outlet, it may cause episodes of upper abdominal pain, sometimes radiating to the back or right shoulder, with nausea or vomiting. Attacks can occur after meals but are not always triggered by fatty foods.
Gallstones are usually diagnosed with ultrasound and liver blood tests; MRCP may be needed if a stone in the main bile duct is suspected. Symptomatic stones are generally treated with keyhole gallbladder removal. Untreated obstruction can occasionally lead to cholecystitis, jaundice, cholangitis or pancreatitis.
Gallbladder polyps
When polyps need assessment
Most small gallbladder polyps detected on ultrasound are benign, commonly representing cholesterol deposits rather than true tumours. Whether a polyp needs monitoring or removal depends on its size, appearance, growth and individual risk factors. Small, low-risk polyps often need no follow-up; larger or suspicious lesions may require further imaging or surgery.
KEYHOLE GALLBLADDER REMOVAL
How the operation is performed
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy removes the gallbladder through several small incisions under general anaesthesia. The gallbladder is carefully separated from the liver and removed. Most patients go home the same day or the following morning.
Gallbladder cancer
A rare but important diagnosis
Gallbladder cancer is uncommon but can be aggressive. When it is found at an early stage, surgical removal of the gallbladder and surrounding tissue may offer the best chance of cure. Treatment planning depends on the stage of disease and should be individualised.
After surgery
Life after gallbladder removal
Most patients walk within hours, go home the same day or the following morning, and gradually resume normal activities. Driving is appropriate once you can safely perform an emergency stop and are no longer taking impairing pain medicine. Temporary pain, bloating or loose bowel motions may occur. Most people resume a normal diet; persistent diarrhoea should be assessed because treatable bile acid diarrhoea can occasionally occur.
Urgent symptoms
Seek medical assessment promptly
Severe or persistent abdominal pain, jaundice, fever, chills or repeated vomiting can indicate a complication of gallstone disease and should be assessed urgently.
Risks of gallbladder surgery
Important risks and complications
As with any operation, laparoscopic cholecystectomy has general surgical risks as well as risks specific to operating around the gallbladder and bile ducts.
General risks
These include infection, bleeding that may require further treatment or another operation, chest complications, heart attack or stroke, blood clots in the legs or lungs, and—in rare circumstances—death. Some risks are higher in people with obesity, smoking-related disease or significant medical problems.
Gallbladder-specific risks
Specific risks include bile leak, injury to the main bile duct, retained bile duct stones, bleeding from the liver bed or nearby vessels, and injury to bowel, bladder or other organs. Further procedures, drainage, blood transfusion or another operation may occasionally be required. Keyhole surgery may need to be converted to open surgery. Wound problems, hernia, adhesions or persistent pre-operative symptoms can also occur.
The risks that matter most vary from patient to patient and are discussed before surgery.