The gall bladder is an organ that belongs to the digestive system. It is located on the right, under the liver, and has a pear-shaped shape. Its main function is the storage and concentration of bile, which is produced by the liver. Bile is involved in the breakdown of lipids and the activation of enzymes during digestion. Removal of the gallbladder, if necessary for medical reasons, does not lead to digestive failure. Bile will simply come from the liver directly into the duodenum.
One of the most common operations is the removal of the gallbladder. Laparoscopy (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) is by far the most convenient and regularly used method of this operation.
Indications for laparoscopy of the gallbladder are the formation of stones that block the outflow of bile and cause inflammation of the gallbladder. Until now, it has not been precisely established for what reason gallstones form in some people, and no means have been identified that can prevent their occurrence.
Today, there are many advantages, given which, laparoscopy of the gallbladder as a type of surgical intervention takes first place among all other methods of removing the gallbladder:
- This operation requires only 4 small incisions.
- After surgery, the patient feels very mild pain.
- In patients after gallbladder removal, recovery after open surgery takes much longer than in those who were operated on by the laparoscopic method.
- Laparoscopy of the gallbladder allows patients after the hospital to quickly return to a normal lifestyle and habitual physical activity.
Like any operation, laparoscopy requires some preparation of the patient. So, initially the doctor prescribes a full medical examination (blood tests, ultrasound, chest x-ray and ECG). This is done so that the surgeon can find out if there are any contraindications to the operation. When the doctor sees and examines all the results of the examinations, he will offer you possible types of surgical intervention. After you sign the consent to the operation, the small and large intestines are cleaned. The night before the operation (starting at 12 o’clock) and in the morning, you should not eat or drink anything, except for the medicines prescribed by the doctor.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia. The gallbladder is removed through one of the four abdominal incisions . After carrying out all the necessary medical procedures, laparoscopy of the gallbladder ends with suturing.
There are options when the operation cannot be completed laparoscopically. This happens with an extensive inflammatory process and the presence of adhesions in the biliary region. The bubble in this case is tense, fits snugly to adjacent organs, so there is a risk of damage during surgery. In this case, a transition to an open form of operation is possible. Before performing laparoscopy, the surgeon must warn the patient about this option of surgical intervention.
After the operation is completed, the patient is brought to the ward, where he departs from anesthesia for an hour. The next day the patient is not allowed to eat. After two to three days, the patient may already lead a normal lifestyle. If there are no such consequences of laparoscopy as fever, inflammation of the wounds and persistent pain, the patient can already be prescribed. Seven days after the operation, he needs to return to the hospital to remove the stitches and receive recommendations regarding the diet he has been given. After that, we can say that the operation was successful.