Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
Cholecystectomy is the most common treatment for cholecystitis, an inflammation of the gallbladder, and consists of its excision, whether by open or laparoscopic procedure.
The gallbladder is a small organ measuring between 7 to 10 cm long, dark-green due to its contents (bile), located between the liver and the duodenum.
This type of surgery is usually associated with gallstones or complications related to gallstones and biliary colic. It is generally considered a safe surgical procedure and one of the most common in the world, being the laparoscopic procedure the most performed.
To live without the gallbladder is usually the concern of who is about to go under this procedure. It is, in fact, possible to live without the gallbladder because with the procedure, the bile starts going directly from the liver to the small intestine, without complications.
What does the gallbladder do?
The main function of the gallbladder is to store bile, the liquid produced by the liver that helps to digest the ingested fat.
What is a cholecystitis?
A cholecystitis is an inflammation in the gallbladder walls that originates in an obstruction of the cystic duct for a long period of time due to gallstones. A cholecystitis without complications has an excellent prognostic and a quick treatment. The occurrence of complications such as perforations or gangrenes may turn the prognostic less favorable. The incidence of cholecystitis increases with age. Risk groups are pregnant women, old people, obese and patients with liver transplant.
Both Hospital Lusiadas Lisboa and Hospital Lusiadas Porto are two of the most modern private hospitals in Portugal, with international accreditation by Joint Commission International, and their clinical body is experienced in General Surgery. We make sure the best health professionals of this specialty perform your treatment, from the most complete medical care and the most appropriate facilities. These facts will contribute for successful results.
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Gallstones treatment
The incidence of gallstones is 2 to 3 times more frequent in women than in men.
Gallstone treatment depends on the state of the disease.
Asymptomatic gallstones may be treated without extraction, in order to relieve the obstruction and the infection. When there is pain and gallstones become symptomatic, a surgical procedure is needed to remove gallstones and consequently the excision (removal) of the gallbladder.
The most common symptom of a cholecystitis is upper abdominal pain.
Other symptoms are peritoneal irritation, colic pain that gradually turns into constant pain, nausea and vomiting, and fever. The symptoms may vary according to the age group, where children and older people may not have such clear manifestations of the condition.
This surgery can be performed when the patient is under de effect of one of the three types of anesthesia: general, regional and local.
Most of these surgeries are done with general anesthesia, being the administration of regional or local anesthesia is an uncommon situation.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy requires only 4 small incisions to be done, which reduces the recovery time as well as after surgery pain.
Also, the surgery can be done in an outpatient setting, lowering the costs of the procedure since the patients won’t have to stay in the hospital overnight. As long as the procedure goes without complications and the patient has controlled pain and nausea, the patient may return home in the same day as the procedure.
Open cholecystectomy is nowadays a less common procedure, because they require a longer recovery time, a longer in-patient and higher costs associated. An open cholecystectomy may be considered in patients with cirrhosis, bleeding disorders, as well as pregnant women.
There aren’t generally post-operative complications.
The patient may return home the same day or the day after depending on the discomfort and pain felt. A week after the surgery, patients can resume their normal physical activity, with the due cautions as stated by the surgeon.1 to 2 weeks after the surgery, a follow-up consultation occurs.
The removal of this organ doesn’t change the dietary habits of the patients.
Doctors who perform this medical procedure
Coordinator of the General Surgery Unit
With a degree in Medicine by Faculdade de Medicina of Universidade de Lisboa since 1985, Dr. Nuno Abecassis is a Specialist in General Surgery since 1994. His work experience in surgeries for cancer treatment and research in the area of General Surgery has been developed both in Portugal and the United States.
Coordinator of the Obesity Treatment Center
Dr. Ângelo Ferreira has a degree in Medicine from Faculdade de Medicina of Coimbra Univeristy and is a General Surgeon of Hospital Lusíadas Lisboa. Dr. Ângelo Ferreira has an extensive experience in the field of General Surgery and Obesity Surgery.
He performs obesity surgery, gastroesophageal reflux surgery (GERD), minimally invasive surgery, and upper GI surgery.
