Gallbladder Surgery
Gallbladder attacks and gallbladder infections are painful conditions that often result in a visit to hospital emergency department. The condition might settle but most people eventually need surgery to remove the gallbladder due to recurrent symptoms.
If you need emergency surgery to remove your gallbladder, you can request that the operation is done by one of our experienced surgeons from Sunnybank Surgical. We operate at Sunnybank Private Hospital, Mater Private Hospital Redlands and Mater Private Hospital South Brisbane.
What is gallbladder surgery?
The gallbladder is a small pear shaped organ on the right side of your abdomen. It stores bile from your liver to help digest food. When you eat, your gallbladder empties bile into your intestines to help digest fats. Stones can develop in the bile, especially if you eat a high fat diet. Supersaturation of bile can result in precipitation and formation of pigmented gallstones and this is commonly observed after bariatric surgery and weight loss surgery including sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass operations.
When gallstones form, they irritate the lining of the gallbladder and block the gallbladder duct. This causes symptoms of bloating, pain, nausea, vomiting or more serious complications like infection.
How quickly can I get gallbladder surgery?
Patients who are suffering from biliary colic (gallbladder attacks) or acute cholecystitis (gallbladder infection) often find these conditions extremely painful. Cholecystitis is a serious condition and can lead to complications. If you are in pain, don't ignore it. An infection in your abdomen can be very serious. The surgeons at Sunnybank Surgical recommend that an operation when performed sooner would reduce the risks of surgery to the patient.
If your pain has resolved, do not take the chance by waiting for the next attack before you see a surgeon. Once gallstones become symptomatic, they tend to occur repeatedly and complications of gallstone disease such as cholangitis and pancreatitis can occur. Arrange to see your GP if the pain lasts for more than three hours. If the pain is very bad, go straight to your nearest hospital emergency department.
What is involved in gallbladder surgery?
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Surgery to remove the gallbladder is called cholecystectomy. It is usually performed as keyhole surgery, with four small incisions in the abdomen. Your surgeon will use a small laparoscopic telescope and small instruments to clip off the ducts and arteries leading to the gallbladder before removing the gallbladder.
Open cholecystectomy
If your gallbladder is very inflamed you may need a procedure called an open cholecystectomy, which requires a larger cut in your upper abdomen. This situation is rarely required and in the experienced hands of the surgeons at Sunnybank Surgical, the majority of operations are done by keyhole only.
Common bile duct exploration and ERCP
A cholangiogram (x-ray test) is performed during gallbladder removal surgery to check for stones within the bile ducts – the tubes that carry bile between the liver, gallbladder and small intestine. If bile duct stones are present, they may be removed by common bile duct exploration if appropriate.
Alternatively, after your gallbladder surgery, we will arrange for you to be attended to by our partnering gastroenterology specialist for an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This is a non-invasive procedure that uses a flexible telescope to retrieve stones from the lower end of the bile duct from the small intestine. When performed by experienced ERCP proceduralist, this procedure is quick and easy with minimal risks. This can be arranged immediately after gallbladder surgery.
Gallbladder removal surgery is performed as an overnight stay. You will usually be discharged the next day. After surgery, you should be free of pain and able to eat a normal diet. Surgery will prevent serious complications that common bile-duct stones can cause.
Can I choose my surgeon for gallbladder surgery?
As a private patient, you can ask your GP or consulting doctors about having your emergency gallbladder surgery performed by your preferred surgeon at your preferred hospital. Surgeons from Sunnybank Surgical consult and operate in hospitals across Brisbane, including Sunnybank Private Hospital, Mater Private Hospital Redlands and Mater Private Hospital South Brisbane.
