Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Gallstones)
Date issued: July 2025
For review: July 2027
Ref: A-679/JMJ/Upper GI/Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (gallstones)
PDF: Laparoscopic Cholecystecomy (Gallstones).pdf [pdf] 340KB
What is the gall bladder?
The gall bladder is a small pear sized organ that stores bile. Bile is necessary for the digestion of fatty food. The bile duct is a tube that carries bile from the liver to the bowel and attached to this is the gall bladder. However, the gall bladder is not an essential organ and you are able to continue to digest fatty food without it, though about half the people who have their gall bladder removed have some indigestion or bloating from time to time.
What are gallstones?
10-15% of adults develop gallstones. Gallstones form in the gall bladder, most commonly due to an imbalance in the chemical constituents of bile.
What problems do gallstones cause?
Gallstones are common and often cause no problems. However, in some people they can cause:
Pain:
This arises if gallstones block the outlet from the gall bladder. It can last minutes to hours and resolve spontaneously (biliary colic). It may however last longer, with inflammation of the gall bladder (cholecystitis), often requiring antibiotics.
Pancreatitis:
Inflammation of the pancreas gland can occur if a stone passes down the bile duct and irritates the opening to the pancreas.
Jaundice:
This is a condition whereby a patient turns a shade of yellow, often most noticeable in the white of the eyes. It is due to a stone moving from the gall bladder into the bile duct and partially blocking the flow of bile into the bowel. If this occurs, your urine may become darker, faeces lighter, and your skin may itch.
How are gallstones treated?
A low-fat diet may help reduce the pain due to gallstones.
There are no drugs available which are able to reduce the symptoms arising from gallstones by dissolving them.
The best method to remove the symptoms arising from gallstones is to perform an operation to remove the gall bladder. If only the stones are removed, leaving the gall bladder in place, the stones will re-form.
What does the operation involve?
Both the gall bladder and stones are removed. This can be done as a laparoscopic (keyhole) procedure under general anaesthetic (you are completely asleep), through four small holes, each 1-2 cm in length, made in the tummy wall. Occasionally it is not possible to complete the operation by the keyhole method and a bigger incision (cut) is needed. The risk of the keyhole operation being converted to an open operation is about 5%.
What Are The Possible Complications?
The operation is usually straightforward and you will either be able to go home on the day of surgery or the following day. There are however risks with any operation and although they are rare, these are detailed below:
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Shoulder pain: This often happens after keyhole surgery, but tends to last less than 24 hours. It is due to the gas used to inflate the inside of the abdomen during the operation.
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Infection: This can occur in the wound(s), in the lungs, at the site of the intravenous drip, or at the position where the gall bladder was located.
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Bleeding: This can occur during or after the operation, as with any surgery.
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Bile leak: Bile can leak from tiny accessory ducts or the main bile duct after the operation. This may settle spontaneously, but in some cases may require further intervention.
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Damage to surrounding structures: Rarely, nearby structures can be damaged inadvertently during this operation, as with any operation. These structures include the bile duct, bowel, and the blood supply to the liver. A bile duct injury is potentially very serious but is rare, occurring in approximately 3 in every 1000 operations.
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Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) / Pulmonary Embolus (PE): Clots forming in the veins can occur with any surgery, but the risk is increased with laparoscopic surgery. We give you a blood thinning agent to decrease this risk and ask you to wear compression stockings.
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Retained Stone: Before or during the operation, a stone can move into the bile duct. This often causes no problem and passes into the bowel. However, if it does not pass, a second procedure may be necessary to remove it.
What about pain after the operation?
Keyhole surgery usually involves less pain than open surgery. Several methods are used to minimise the pain that may be experienced:
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Injecting the wounds with local anaesthetic while you are asleep
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Pain killing tablets are given to you before the operation which will continue to work after the operation, or, with your permission, long-lasting pain relief suppositories are given while you are still asleep
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Pain relief tablets are given to you after the operation, as needed
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You are given pain relief tablets to take home
Is there any aftercare for the wounds?
The four small holes are usually glued or stitched with dissolvable stitches and so do not need to be removed. If stitches are used, each small hole should be kept covered with a shower-proof dressing and be kept dry for one week. As long as you have either a shower-proof dressing in place or glue, you will be able to shower immediately after the operation.
What about recovery?
You may eat and drink as soon as you like following surgery. After assessment by a nurse and / or the surgeon, you may be able to go home in the late afternoon or early evening. After keyhole surgery, you are likely to feel tired for a day or two. Full recovery takes about 2 weeks. With open surgery, the average is 4 weeks.
Bowels
It is quite usual for the bowels not to open for a day or two following surgery. Should you feel uncomfortable after this, consult your GP.
Returning to Work
You will be able to go back to work fairly quickly depending upon how physically demanding your job is. The average is 2 weeks after keyhole surgery and 4 weeks after open surgery.
Driving
You may drive as soon as you are able to tolerate the seat belt and make an emergency stop without causing discomfort - usually after 1-2 weeks following keyhole surgery and 2-3 weeks following open surgery.
Check-Ups
The vast majority of patients recover quickly after this type of surgery and do not have to be seen again. Should there be specific reasons to be seen after the surgery, this will be arranged before discharge. If any problems arise once you are home, your GP will usually arrange for you to be seen again.
For patients operated on in the day case unit only
You will be telephoned by a nurse from the Day Case Unit on the first evening and the following morning after the surgery to check on your progress.
