Gallstone surgery – a gallbladder containing gallstones can be removed surgically in two ways.
Increasingly common is so-called laparoscopic gallbladder removal, in which the diseased organ is removed through 3 small incisions, using endoscopes and instrument guide tubes.
If this method cannot be used to remove the gallbladder, or if it has certain contraindications, the organ can be removed in the conventional way, through a surgical incision.
The advantage of the laparoscopic method is a faster recovery and smaller surgical scars.
If the gallbladder’s small stones have passed into the bile-ducts, it is advisable to remove the bile duct stones before gallbladder surgery. This can be done during an ERCP examination or by giving ursodeoxycholic acid, but one procedure is often not enough.
