Cholecystectomy, removal of the gallbladder, is one of the most common major operations done in the United States. About 700,000 operations are done annually, usually because of symptoms or complications caused by stones which have developed in the gallbladder. Bile is made in the liver and is used to eliminate toxins from the body and help digest food. The normal function of the gallbladder is to store and concentrate the bile. Sometimes the various constituents of the bile are not present in the right concentrations and this leads to the formation of gallstones. If the stones are not causing any symptoms then surgery is usually not recommended, but most of the time symptoms eventually develop and worsen until the gallbladder is removed. The most classic symptom is pain in the right upper abdomen shooting around to the right shoulder blade, sometimes with nausea and vomiting, and particularly occurring after eating. Many patients also notice bloating and fatty food intolerance, most commonly after a meal. More serious problems can develop, such as infection of the gallbladder(acute cholecystitis), obstructive jaundice, and pancreatitis. The only reliable treatment for gallbladder disease is complete removal of the gallbladder. This does not produce any difficulty with digestion and can usually (97%) be done by a method known as laparoscopy.

Laparoscopy is a method of performing surgical operations through small incisions, each usually less than half an inch in length. Four of these incisions are usually required for laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. Carbon dioxide gas, which is safe and rapidly absorbed from body tissues, is used to fill the abdominal cavity and provide a working space, then hollow tubes (trochars) which are ¼ to ½ inches in diameter are placed to allow the surgeon to manipulate instruments while visualizing the inside of the abdomen on a video monitor. It usually takes 30-40 minutes to remove the gallbladder. The operation is done under general anesthesia and most patients can go home later the same day. Full physical activity can usually be resumed about one week later, and there are no known side effects when the gallbladder is absent.