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Open gallbladder surgery for gallstones
In
open gallbladder surgery 
(cholecystectomy), the surgeon removes the
gallbladder through a single, large incision in the
abdomen. You will need general anesthesia, and the surgery lasts 1 to 2 hours.
The surgeon will make the incision either under the border of the right rib
cage or in the middle of the upper part of the abdomen (between the belly
button and the end of the breastbone).
Doctors do most open gallbladder surgeries after trying first to remove the gallbladder with laparoscopic surgery. A few people have conditions that require open gallbladder surgery. For more information, see the Why It Is Done section below.
After surgery to remove the gallbladder, bile flows from the liver (where it is produced) through the common bile duct and into the small intestine. Because the gallbladder is gone, bile no longer is stored between meals. In most people, this has little or no effect on digestion.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: July 22, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Peter J. Kahrilas, MD - Gastroenterology | |
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