Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Gallbladder disease is more common in children than most people think. The two most common problems are either poor emptying of the gallbladder (biliary dyskinesia) or gallstones (cholelithiasis). The most common symptoms of gallbladder disease are pain especially with eating fatty or spicy foods, nausea, and vomiting. This pain usually is in the upper abdomen located in the middle or right side it may go the right shoulder blade. The pain may come on slowly and resolve slowly. There are many variations in the presentation of the pain. The evaluation of gallbladder disease may include lab work, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine function studies of the gallbladder.

Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. This procedure is most often done laparoscopically. This is done through several small incisions in the abdomen. Rarely, the doctor may switch to open surgery. This involves a larger incision in the abdomen. Patients usually go home the day of surgery or the next day.