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Cholecystectomy carries a small risk of complications including:

• 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.

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.

Prepare for your recovery

Plan ahead for your recovery after surgery. For instance:

• Plan for a hospital stay. Most people go home the same day of their cholecystectomy, but complications can occur that require one or more nights in the hospital. If the surgeon needs to make a long incision in your abdomen to remove your gallbladder, you may need to stay in the hospital longer. It's not always possible to know ahead of time what procedure will be used. Plan ahead in case you need to stay in the hospital by bringing personal items, such as your toothbrush, comfortable clothing, and books or magazines to pass the time.
• Find someone to drive you home and stay with you. Ask a friend or family member to drive you home and stay close the first night after surgery.

Cholecystectomy is performed using general anesthesia, so you won't be aware during the procedure. Anesthesia drugs are given through a vein in your arm. Once the drugs take effect, your health care team will insert a tube down your throat to help you breathe. Your surgeon then performs the cholecystectomy using either a laparoscopic or open procedure.

Minimally invasive (laparoscopic) cholecystectomy

During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the surgeon makes four small incisions in your abdomen. A tube with a tiny video camera is inserted into your abdomen through one of the incisions. Your surgeon watches a video monitor in the operating room as special surgical tools are inserted through the other incisions in your abdomen and your gallbladder is removed.

Next you'll undergo an imaging test, such as X-ray or ultrasound, to check your bile duct for abnormalities. If your surgeon finds gallstones or other problems in your bile duct, those may be remedied. Then your incisions are sutured, and you're taken to a recovery area. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy takes one or two hours.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy isn't appropriate for everyone. In some cases your surgeon may begin with a laparoscopic approach and find it necessary to make a larger incision because of scar tissue from previous operations or complications.

Traditional (open) cholecystectomy

During open cholecystectomy your surgeon makes a 6-inch (15-centimeter) incision in your abdomen below your ribs on your right side. The muscle and tissue are pulled back to reveal your liver and gallbladder. Your surgeon then removes the gallbladder. The incision is sutured, and you're taken to a recovery area. Open cholecystectomy takes one or two hours.

After cholecystectomy

You'll be taken to a recovery area as the anesthesia drugs wear off. Then you'll be taken to a hospital room to continue recovery. Recovery varies depending on your procedure:

• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. People are often able to go home the same day as their surgery, though sometimes a one-night stay in the hospital is needed. In general, you can expect to go home once you're able to eat and drink without pain and are able to walk unaided. It takes about a week to fully recover.
• Open cholecystectomy. Expect to spend two or three days in the hospital recovering. Once at home, it may take four to six weeks to fully recover.

Cholecystectomy can relieve the pain and discomfort of gallstones. Conservative treatments, such as dietary modifications, usually can't stop gallstones from recurring. Cholecystectomy is the only way to prevent gallstones.

Some people experience mild diarrhea after cholecystectomy, though this usually goes away with time. Most people won't experience digestive problems after cholecystectomy. Your gallbladder isn't essential to healthy digestion.

How quickly you can return to normal activities after cholecystectomy depends on which procedure your surgeon uses and your overall health. People undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be able to go back to work in a matter of days. Those undergoing open cholecystectomy may need a week or more to recover enough to return to work.