Cholecystectomy Surgery

Indications in India

Approximately ten percent of Americans will develop gallstone disease (cholelithiasis) in their lifetime. Most often the stones cause no symptoms and their presence goes unrecognized. The most common symptom complex is biliary colic, characterized by abdominal pain localized to the right upper abdomen, which often follows large or excessively fatty meals. Symptoms of biliary colic may include pain radiating to the right shoulder, nausea, and excessive flatulence and/or belching. Patients usually improve without intervention, but bouts often recur.

Gallstones may also cause other concerns including cholecystitis (infection of the gallbladder), gallstone pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), jaundice, or cholangitis (infection of the ducts connecting the gallbladder with the liver and small intestine). Medical evidence exists to suggest that long-standing gallstone disease may eventually lead to cancer of the gallbladder, a very aggressive and often deadly tumor. Other indications for cholecystectomy include prophylactic removal of the gallbladder in patients with cholelithiasis who are scheduled to undergo organ transplantation, or in patients with a calcified (porcelain) gallbladder, thought to be associated with gallbladder cancer. Rarer indications include trauma, biliary dyskinesis, and symptomatic gallbladder polyps.

Risk

• Bile leak
• Bleeding
• Blood clots
• Death
• Heart problems
• Infection
• Injury to nearby structures, such as the bile duct, liver and small intestine
• Pancreatitis
• Pneumonia

Your risk of complications depends on your overall health and the reason for your cholecystectomy. Emergency cholecystectomy carries a higher risk of complications than does a planned cholecystectomy.

To Prepare For Cholecystectomy, Your Surgeon May Ask You To : –

• Drink a solution to clean out your intestines. In the days before your procedure you may be given a prescription solution that flushes stool out of your intestines.
• Eat nothing the night before your surgery. You may drink a sip of water with your medications, but avoid eating and drinking at least four hours before your surgery.
• Stop taking certain medications and supplements. Tell your doctor about all the medications and supplements you take. Continue taking most medications as prescribed. Your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain medications and supplements because they may increase your risk of bleeding.
• Shower using a special soap. Your doctor may give you a special antibacterial soap to use before your surgery.