The gallbladder is a small organ that stores bile, the fluid used to break down fats. It concentrates bile by drawing water out of it, then releases that concentrated bile into the small intestine when you eat fatty food.
How gallstones form
Gallstones, known medically as biliary calculi, form inside the gallbladder from cholesterol, bile pigment and calcium salts. When excess cholesterol crystallises in bile and the gallbladder does not empty properly, stones develop.
Most gallstones cause no trouble at all. They matter when they block a duct, which can lead to pancreatitis and other infections. Roughly 80 per cent of people with gallstone symptoms need surgery, either removal of the gallbladder itself, called cholecystectomy, or extraction of stones from the bile ducts.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Small incisions are made in the abdominal wall so instruments and a camera can be passed through to remove the gallbladder. Keyhole gallbladder removal was one of the earliest laparoscopic procedures adopted in Australia and has been the standard approach since the early 1990s, because the small incisions mean a shorter hospital stay and faster return to normal activity.
When open surgery is used
A wider abdominal incision, laparotomy, is used where keyhole surgery is not safe. That includes people with bleeding disorders and those with significant scarring from previous operations.
Professor El-Khoury will talk through the operation with you in the rooms, covering why it is being recommended, what it involves, the risks and the benefits. He also provides Royal Australasian College of Surgeons information sheets on the procedure so you can read them at home and bring questions back.
This page is general information, not medical advice. What applies to you depends on your history, your examination and your results. Bring your questions to the consultation.