What Is a Cholecystectomy?
A cholecystectomy is the scientific name for the removal of the gallbladder through surgery. The gallbladder is a small organ found right under the liver. Its function is to store bile from the liver and then release that bile into the small bowel in order to break down and absorb fats. While the gallbladder is useful, you can function without it, if it needs to be removed.
What Is a Cholecystectomy Needed For?
We most commonly perform a cholecystectomy when someone is suffering from cholelithiasis, or gallstones, often resulting in right upper abdominal pain, or nausea or vomiting with eating. Gallstones are hard deposits that can form in the gallbladder that can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. These deposits can block the duct exiting the gallbladder, or even worse, the ducts exiting the liver. Other conditions that may require cholecystectomy include acalculous cholecystitis, which is an inflamed gallbladder without gallstones, biliary dyskinesia, where the gallbladder doesn’t function or empty correctly, or even pancreatitis, which is an inflamed pancreas related to the passage of gallstones or debris through the liver ducts.
What Can I Expect From This Procedure?
At Surgical Services of Athens, we perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a relatively low-risk and minimally invasive form of gallbladder removal. It usually requires only small incisions, meaning less bleeding, lower risk of infection, and a faster recovery time. You should be able to go home the same day or the next day and be back to most normal activities by a week or so. You may need to adjust your diet to reduce fat intake after a cholecystectomy, as it may initially be harder for your body to process fats, but your daily life and activities are usually unaffected.
Cholecystectomy in Alabama With Surgical Services of Athens
Residents of Athens, Huntsville, Madison and surrounding areas have put their trust in us for all their surgical needs for over 20 years. Our years of experience and understanding of modern surgical techniques provide our patients with the best possible results. If you need a cholecystectomy in Alabama, call us at 256-216-6500 or contact us by filling out the consultation form below.
