About Gallbladder Removal, Cholecystectomy

Your gallbladder is a small organ that fits on the right side of your body just under the liver. Your pear-shaped gallbladder helps to store bile and release it into the small intestine, aiding in digestion. Some high fat diets can interfere with the gall bladder’s ability to perform its duty, especially if digestive fluid deposits back up into the bile duct.

Experiencing sudden and intense pain that only worsens in either your upper right abdomen or just below your breastbone, or pain in your right shoulder or between your shoulder blades can indicate something wrong with your gall bladder. Some reasons you may have gallbladder removal include:

• Gallstones in the gall bladder or blocking the bile duct
• Inflammation of your gallbladder or cholecystitis
• Inflammation of your pancreas or pancreatitis

How is Gallbladder Removal Performed?

There are usually 2 procedure options when it comes to removal of the gallbladder: laparascopic and open.

A laparascopic cholecystectomy is done under general anesthesia using small incisions in the abdomen. In order to better see the contents of the stomach, the surgeon fills your abdominal cavity with a gas, then inserts and uses a small camera on a flexible arm and small instruments to carry out the procedure. The gallbladder is separated and removed from the bile duct, and the surgeon takes imaging scans to make sure there are no more stones stuck in the duct. If stones are found, the surgeon will try to get them out with a scope.

An open cholecystectomy is also done under general anesthesia, and the gallbladder is accessed via a large incision in the abdomen.

The Surgeons at miVIP

Our surgeons at miVIP undergo extensive training for their procedures. They understand how to carry out both a laparoscopic cholecystectomy and an open procedure. Laparoscopic is often the procedure of choice for many surgeons in this situation, but your surgeon will likely discuss your options with you before any final procedural decision is made. Whatever procedure is decided upon, you can trust that your miVIP surgeon has the training and skill necessary to perform it well.

What to Expect after Gallbladder Removal

After your procedure, you should hopefully have less discomfort from your gallstones, although you will likely have some pain from the procedure and maybe even a short period of mild diarrhea. Removal of the gallbladder usually involves a stay in the hospital that can last from 2-4 days under open procedure while laparoscopic is usually outpatient. Other benefits to laparoscopic include:

• Lower risk of infection
• Lower risk of bleeding
• Less or smaller scarring
• Shorter recovery (usually 7-10 days to get back to work)

No matter which procedure is performed, you should always let your surgeon know if you experience any of these post-surgery:

• Pain in the chest
• Draining from your incisions
• Difficulty breathing or feeling short of breath
• Vomiting or nausea that will not go away
• Intense pain in the abdomen
• Worsening redness

Cost of Gallbladder Removal

Before any procedure is performed, miVIP will work with you to verify your insurance coverage. If your plan does not cover a cholecystectomy, there are a variety of payment plans that we offer to help you get the help you need and resolve payment reasonably.

Long Term Prognosis and Other Information Regarding Gallbladder Removal

Despite the name and its function in the body, you can actually live normally without your gall bladder. You can expect some of the best treatments when working with our surgeons at miVIP. Give us a call at 855-496-4847 for more information about how we can help with gallbladder pain.