Cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gall bladder, which is a common procedure that is performed as a result of severe malfunction of the gall bladder, to the point where, after weighing up the pros and cons, it is determined by the surgeon and patient that the benefits provided by the function of the gall bladder are outweighed by the negatives of the gall bladder's malfunction.

Cholecystectomy is typically performed via a laparoscopic (keyhole) incision and is a relatively simply operation in most patients.

There is a debate amongst surgeons as to whether cholecystectomy should be performed "just in case" or whether it should be avoided "just in case", for example in situations where there is a single gall stone that has caused a blockage or inflammation. Some surgeons will argue that, so long as the patient can handle not having the gall bladder (i.e. they do not have major digestive problems), then they should proceed with the cholecystectomy. Other surgeons will argue that unless the patient is suffering greatly from non-removal of the gall bladder, then it should be kept. This is always a serious discussion that is undertaken between surgeon and patient before proceeding with the operation, as pros and cons are weighed up.

Even in patients with a healthy digestive system, there are common complications of having the gall bladder removed, which includes chronic diarrhoea and reflux symptoms, especially in the short-term.

There are many alternatives to a cholecystectomy, including herbal remedies and, surgically, the commonly performed cholelithotomy, or gall stone removal. In cases where there is a single gall stone and the surgeon is of the belief that the gall bladder should be retained unless absolutely necessary to remove it, removal of a gall stone is the most common practice. In such cases, however, recurrence of gall stones at a later stage may require cholecystectomy anyway.