What Are the Different Types of Gallstone Removal Surgery? Which One Should I Consider?
Gallstones are one of the major health concerns usually noticed in most individuals in western countries. But, in recent times, about 6% to 9% of the adult population of India started reporting gallstones. Major causes for the formation of gallstones are too much cholesterol or too much bilirubin in the bile and not enough bile salts.
Due to gallstones, you can suffer from different symptoms that can affect your daily activities. In order to prevent or cure gallstones, modern medical technology provides different types of gallstone removal surgeries. And to make it easy for you in considering the suitable gallstone removal surgery, all the information about different types of gallstone removal surgeries are provided in this article.
Different types of gallstone removal surgeries:
Gallstones are hard deposits of digestive fluid [bile] in the gallbladder [organ present under the liver]. As said earlier, gallstones form where the bile doesn’t have enough bile salts or contain excessive amounts of cholesterol or bilirubin.
On a note, many of the gallstones do not cause symptoms and are called silent gallstones or asymptomatic gallstones. If you have silent gallstones, your doctor may not recommend undergoing gallstone removal surgery.
In case you start noticing symptoms like fever, light-colored stools, indigestion, severe and sharp pain in the back or upper-right abdomen, and yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eye [Jaundice], contact your doctor immediately as these symptoms can suggest a serious infection or inflammation of the gallbladder, liver or pancreas.
Removal of the gallbladder is the best way to remove, prevent, and cure gallstones. Two types of gallstone removal surgeries are performed in this modern era and they are:
-
Open gallbladder removal surgery or open cholecystectomy: In open surgery, a
single large incision which is about 5-7 inches is made on your belly. Once
the incision is made, surgical instruments are used by your doctor to remove
the gallbladder. Once the surgery is done, the incision made will be closed
together with the help of sutures. This surgery can leave a scar behind and
you should stay in the hospital for about a week.
-
Laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery or laparoscopic cholecystectomy: This
surgery is also called robotic cholecystectomy or keyhole surgery. During this
procedure, anesthesia is used to sedate you and so you won’t feel any pain or
discomfort throughout the surgical procedure.
Once you fall asleep, a few small incisions are made over your abdomen by your doctor or surgeon. These incisions are called ports and used to insert a laparoscope [thin tube with tiny video camera] and surgical instruments. The laparoscope is used to send magnified images of organs and tissues from inside the body to a monitor for better visualization to your doctor.
Watching the monitor, your surgeon can use surgical instruments to carefully separate the gallbladder from the liver, bile ducts, and other structures. After separating the gallbladder, your surgeon will remove it through one of the small incisions. Once the surgery is done, all the small incisions made are stitched together.
Which gallstone removal surgery should I consider?
The gallbladder is not an essential organ which means you can lead a normal life without a gallbladder. It is also said that the type of gallstones from which you are suffering can make your doctor decide whether to recommend a surgical procedure or not. Usually, two types of gallstones are noticed and are- cholesterol gallstones and pigment gallstones.
Both laparoscopic and open gallbladder removal surgery has their benefits, risks, and complications. However, from the below table, you can get complete information about the gallbladder removal surgeries and can decide which surgery is suitable for you to remove and cure your gallstones.
| Open gallbladder removal surgery [open cholecystectomy] | Laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery [laparoscopic cholecystectomy] |
|---|---|
| For sedation, general anesthesia is used | General anesthesia is used to avoid any pain or discomfort throughout the surgery |
| Vital signs like respiratory rate, heartbeats, pulse rate, oxygen levels, etc are monitored before and during the surgical procedure | All your vital signs are monitored throughout the surgery |
| A single large incision [5-7 inches] is made on the abdomen | A few small incisions are made on the abdomen |
| Gallstones are removed by removing the gallbladder through the large incision | The gallbladder is removed through one of the small incision that is made on the abdomen |
| Should stay in the hospital for at least a week | Shorter stay in the hospital |
| Requires greater tissue cutting | Involves no or less tissue cutting |
| A scar can be formed over the abdomen or at the surgical site | No scars are formed |
| Can get discharged from the hospital within a week or two | Can be discharged from the hospital on the same day of the surgery |
| The success rate can range between 83% to 85% [depends on several factors] | The success rate can range between 95% to 98% [varies on several factors] |
| Can take 4 to 6 weeks to recover from open gallbladder removal surgery | Can take 7 to 10 days to return to normal daily activities |
| Higher chances of risk of infection when compared to laparoscopic surgery | The risk of infection is low |
Usually, if laparoscopic surgery does not go well, your doctor can choose to
perform open surgery, and if your gallbladder is severely infected, inflamed,
and scarred, open surgery can be performed. Along with these if you are
suffering from any bleeding disorders or obesity, your doctor can suggest
undergoing open surgery.
Most gallstone specialists and surgeons prefer to perform laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery due to its benefits like quick recovery, few small incisions, shorter stay in the hospital, minimal or no scar formation, and reduced chances of risk of infection and complications.
If you wish to get the best and safest laparoscopic gallstone treatment in Gurgaon, you can visit Pristyn Care. Doctors at Pristyn Care are highly experienced and well-trained in performing both open and laparoscopic gallstone surgery in Gurgaon.
Anyways, before deciding to undergo surgical intervention for your gallstones, consult with the best gallstone specialists in your locality and get answers for all your doubts about the surgery.
Conclusion:
Gallbladder removal surgery is the common treatment for preventing and curing gallstones. However, it can be performed as an open surgery or a laparoscopic surgery. Most doctors recommend gallbladder removal surgery only if you start noticing symptoms such as severe and intense pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen, back pain in the shoulder blades, and nausea or vomiting.
Laparoscopic surgery is more common than open surgery because of its advantages. Before deciding to choose the right surgery, consult with your doctor and have a discussion regarding the benefits, advantages, risks, complications, outcomes, and long-term effects of each surgery.
