Nissen fundoplication

Hernia Repair

Colectomy

Cardiomyotomy
(Heller Myotomy)

Splenectomy

Cholecystectomy

Adrenalectomy

Gastric Bypass

Glossary

Members of
SAGES

The Society
of American
Gastrointestinal
Endoscopic
Surgeons

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Gallbladder surgery is now routinely performed laparoscopically. In the procedure, which is carried out under general anesthesia, four very small incisions are made, each a half-inch in length. A narrow, tube-like instrument called a trocar, is inserted in the abdomen through the navel. This trocar contains a tiny telescope, called a laparoscope with a lens on one end and a camera on the other, which is used to view the patient's internal organs on a video monitor.

A trocar tube is inserted through one of the incisions in the abdominal area and that area is filled with carbon dioxide to make it easier to maneuver the camera and other instruments required for the operation. Then, three tiny surgical instruments in other trocar tubes are inserted through the other incisions into the abdominal area to allow the surgeon to perform the entire procedure without having to make a large incision.

Viewing the gallbladder and other organs through the camera, the surgeon seals the cystic artery and the cystic duct, then frees the gall bladder so it can be removed from the point where it is attached to the liver.

After the bile and stones are suctioned out of the gallbladder, the surgeon gently removes the gallbladder through one of the small incisions in the patient’s navel. The incisions need only a stitch or two, or surgical tape to the close them, and the resulting scars from the incisions will be barely visible after they’ve healed completely.

This type of minimally invasive surgery means you can expect a shorter hospital stay – often you can leave the same day – reduced postoperative pain, and a recovery time of days, rather than the weeks required after a traditional open surgery.

Acute Cholecystitis

Acute Cholecystitis is a medical problem that may require removal of the gall bladder. This condition occurs in about 20 percent of all those who suffer from gall bladder symptoms.

Acute Cholecystitis is caused by a stone becoming jammed either in the junction of the gallbladder and duct or in the duct itself. The pain of acute cholecystitis may be caused by inflammation triggered by the chemicals in the bile or by a bacterial infection.

Biliary Colic

The majority of patients with symptomatic gallbladder disease suffer from biliary colic. In this condition, patients may suffer abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting. Biliary colic occurs when gallstones transiently obstruct the outlet of the gallbladder.