When is Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Surgery performed?
It is performed in the patient suffering from gallbladder stone disease
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy requires several small incisions in the abdomen to allow the insertion of operating ports, small cylindrical tubes approximately 5 to 10 mm in diameter, through which surgical instruments and a video camera are placed into the abdominal cavity. The camera illuminates the surgical field and sends a magnified image from inside the body to a video monitor, giving the surgeon a close-up view of the organs and tissues. The surgeon watches the monitor and performs the operation by manipulating the surgical instruments through the operating ports.
Recently, this procedure is performed through a single incision in the patient’s umbilicus. This advanced technique is called Laparoendoscopic Single Site Surgery or “LESS” or Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery or “SILS”. In this procedure, instead of making 3-4 four small different cuts (incisions), a single cut (incision) is made through the navel (umbilicus). Through this cut, specialized rotaculating instruments (straight instruments which can be bent once inside the tummy)are inserted to do the operation. The advantage of LESS / SILS operation is that the number of cuts are further reduced to one and this cut is also not visible after the operation is done as it is hidden inside the navel.
How is Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Surgery performed ( Surgical Procedure ) ?
It is performed under general anaesthesia making small key holes in the abdomen through which the telescope and thin long instruments are introduced and surgery is done by seeing inside of the abdomen on a TV monitor and diseased gallbladder is removed.
What are the Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy complications?
The serious intra-operative complications include bleeding and common bile duct injuries. Late complications after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy include CBD stricture and jaundice
What are the indications of Open Cholecystectomy?
It is performed if laparoscopic facilities are not available or if the surgeon is not trained
Open Cholecystectomy
In open cholecystectomy the gallbladder is removed through one large incision in your abdomen. This technique is called open surgery. It is a more invasive operation than keyhole surgery. You need to be in hospital for longer and it takes longer to recover.
Open surgery is now usually only used if there are medical reasons why laparoscopic cholecystectomy cannot be safely performed, or if the surgeon decides that it would be safer to switch to open surgery during the procedure (this is known as conversion).
Living without a gallbladder
You can lead a perfectly normal life without a gallbladder. The organ can be useful but it’s not essential. Your liver will still produce bile to digest food.
However, some people who have had their gallbladder removed have reported symptoms of bloating and diarrhoea after eating fatty or spicy food. If certain foods do trigger symptoms, you may wish to avoid them in the future.