Keyhole surgery is the gold standard but in some cases your surgeon may need to do open surgery instead.
- Keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery
Your surgeon makes several small punctures or incisions in your abdomen and inserts hollow tubes into the openings. Then they inflate your abdomen with carbon dioxide gas to make it easier to see your internal organs before putting surgical tools, a light and video camera through the tubes.
Your surgeon removes your gallbladder, together with the gallstones and seals the incisions in your skin with stitches, surgical clips or glue. The procedure usually takes about an hour.
Very occasionally, surgeons need to convert from the laparoscopic approach to an open surgery to complete the operation.
- Open surgery
Your surgeon may recommend open surgery from the outset, particularly if you have a lot of scar tissue from previous abdominal procedures. Emergency surgery for gallbladder removal has a higher chance of conversion to an open procedure than elective surgery.
Your surgeon makes an incision about 15 centimetres long in the upper right side of your abdomen and cuts through the fat and muscle before removing your gallbladder and gallstones. They then staple or suture your skin closed. You may find that your surgeon has put a small drain to the outside of your abdomen, which will later be taken out by a nurse. The procedure takes about 1 to 2 hours.
- Keyhole or open, which is best?
With keyhole surgery, your recovery time is shorter generally because there’s less discomfort after your surgery and the cuts are smaller. The risk of complications in experienced hands is low for either approach, other than higher risks of wound complications with open surgery.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Information is provided by HCF in good faith for the convenience of members. It is not an endorsement or recommendation of any form of treatment nor is it a substitute for medical advice, and you should rely on the advice of your treating doctors in relation to all matters concerning your health. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, however HCF takes no responsibility for any injury, loss, damage or other consequences of the use of this information.