Gallbladder surgery and gallstone evaluation

The gallbladder stores bile made by the liver. Gallstones are hardened deposits that may cause pain when they block a duct. Some stones cause no symptoms and may not need treatment.

Describe the location and duration of pain, its relationship to meals and any nausea or vomiting. Other conditions can cause similar symptoms.

Seek medical care right away for abdominal pain lasting several hours, fever or chills, jaundice, or nausea and vomiting during a suspected gallbladder attack. Yellowing of the skin or eyes can signal a blocked duct or other complication.

Do not wait for a routine consultation if these symptoms develop.

Cholecystectomy removes the gallbladder rather than just taking stones out of it. After removal, bile flows from the liver into the small intestine instead of being stored in the gallbladder.

The practice’s existing page discusses laparoscopic, robotic and open approaches. Ask which approach is being considered and whether a stone in a bile duct needs separate treatment.

Ask how the diagnosis and proposed operation affect the plan for your recovery.