Gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy)
Keyhole or open surgery to remove the gallbladder, usually because gallstones are causing pain or other problems.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- Removing the gallbladder is the usual cure for gallstones that cause symptoms or complications.
- You can live well without a gallbladder, though some people have looser or more frequent stools afterwards.
- Most operations are keyhole and many people go home the same day or after one night.
- Bile duct injury is rare but serious; choose a surgeon who does this regularly and discuss the risks.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your surgeon will give you advice for your situation.
Usually stops painful gallstone attacks for good
Your gallstones cause no symptoms and were found by chance — removal is not usually advised.
Expect soreness around the cuts and possibly shoulder-tip pain from the gas. Take regular painkillers, move gently and do not drive. Most keyhole patients...
Clear written advice on wound care, pain relief, activity, diet and when to drive and return to work.
Expect soreness around the cuts and possibly shoulder-tip pain from the gas. Take regular painkillers, move gently...
Pain eases and energy improves. Keep wounds clean and dry, and walk little and often. Many people with desk jobs...
Most keyhole patients are back to normal activity, building up gradually. Avoid heavy lifting until your surgeon...
Open surgery recovery catches up around now. Digestion usually settles; any change in bowel habit often improves...
What is gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy)?
The gallbladder is a small pouch under the liver that stores bile, a fluid that helps digest fat. Small stones often form in it. Many people with gallstones have no symptoms and need no treatment, but stones can cause attacks of pain (biliary colic), inflammation (cholecystitis), jaundice or inflammation of the pancreas.
When gallstones cause symptoms or complications, the usual treatment is to remove the whole gallbladder rather than just the stones, because stones tend to come back if the gallbladder is left in place. Most operations are done by keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery through a few small cuts; occasionally the surgeon needs to switch to open surgery through a larger cut.
You can live a normal life without a gallbladder — bile simply flows straight from the liver into the bowel. Most people digest food normally afterwards, though some notice looser stools or more frequent bowel motions, especially after fatty meals, which often settles over time. Surgery is for symptoms or complications, not for stones found by chance with no symptoms.
Types & techniques
There isn't one single operation. The right approach depends on you — which is something to discuss with your surgeon.
Keyhole vs open removal
| Keyhole | Open |
|---|---|
| A few small cuts | One larger cut |
| Less pain, faster recovery | More pain, slower recovery |
| Often day case or one night | Usually a few days in hospital |
| Back to normal in ~1–2 weeks | Back to normal in several weeks |
| Standard first choice | Used when keyhole is not safe |
Keyhole is the usual approach. Open surgery is chosen when it is safer — for example with severe inflammation or scarring. Sometimes a keyhole operation is converted to open during surgery for safety.
Preparing for your surgery
- See the operating surgeon to confirm your symptoms are due to gallstones and that removal is right for you.
- Have any recommended scans (usually an ultrasound) and blood tests beforehand.
- Tell the team about all medicines, especially blood thinners, and about diabetes, heart or chest problems.
- Stop smoking beforehand if you can, to lower the risk of chest and wound problems.
- Follow fasting instructions before your general anaesthetic.
- Arrange a lift home and someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours.
- Plan around 1–2 weeks off for keyhole surgery, longer for open surgery or a manual job.
What happens
The operation is done under general anaesthetic, so you are asleep, and usually takes about 1 to 2 hours. In keyhole surgery the surgeon makes a few small cuts, gently inflates the tummy with gas to see clearly, and removes the gallbladder with a camera and instruments. Sometimes an X-ray is taken during the operation to check the bile duct.
If the area is too inflamed or the anatomy is unclear, the surgeon may switch to open surgery for safety. The cuts are closed with stitches, clips or glue. Many people having keyhole surgery go home the same day or after one night, once they can eat, drink, pass urine and move comfortably.
Is this operation right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- Your gallstones cause no symptoms and were found by chance — removal is not usually advised.
- Your symptoms are unlikely to be due to gallstones, so surgery may not relieve them.
- You are not fit enough for a general anaesthetic until other health problems are managed.
- Acute severe inflammation may need a period of treatment first before deciding on timing of surgery.
Delay surgery if…
- You have an active infection elsewhere or an untreated chest infection.
- Your blood-thinning medicine cannot yet be safely managed around surgery.
- You have poorly controlled diabetes, heart or lung disease that needs optimising.
- There is current severe inflammation or jaundice that the team wants to assess and treat first.
- You are pregnant — timing and approach need specialist discussion.
Alternatives to discuss
- Watchful waiting for gallstones that cause no symptoms.
- Pain control and dietary changes (lower-fat meals) for mild, infrequent symptoms while deciding.
- Clearing a blocked bile duct by ERCP, which may relieve some problems but does not remove the gallbladder.
- Draining an inflamed gallbladder (cholecystostomy) as a temporary measure in people too unwell for surgery.
- The NHS pathway rather than private care if speed is not the priority.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Anaesthetic choices
The safest option depends on the operation, your health, the facility and your surgeon/anaesthetist. Ask what is planned and why.
Benefits
- Usually stops painful gallstone attacks for good
- Removes the risk of future gallstone complications such as inflammation or blocked ducts
- Keyhole surgery means small scars and a relatively quick recovery
- Often a day case, so many people go home the same day
- You can eat normally and live a full life without a gallbladder
Risks & complications
- Pain, bruising and swelling around the cuts for a few days
- Shoulder-tip pain from the gas used in keyhole surgery, which settles
- Tiredness and some nausea after the anaesthetic
- Looser or more frequent bowel motions, especially after fatty food, often temporary
- Wound infection
- Bleeding
- Bile leak from the small tube that drained the gallbladder, sometimes needing further treatment
- Needing to convert from keyhole to open surgery
- A stone left in the bile duct, needing a telescope procedure (ERCP) to remove it
- Injury to the main bile duct, which is serious and may need major repair surgery
- Injury to the bowel, blood vessels or other nearby organs
- Blood clots in the legs or lungs
- Serious problems related to the general anaesthetic
The most serious specific risk is injury to the main bile duct. It is rare, but it can have lasting consequences and may need complex repair, so it is worth discussing. Risk is higher when the gallbladder is very inflamed or scarred. Ask your surgeon how often they do this operation, what they do if the anatomy is unclear (such as taking an X-ray or removing only part of the gallbladder), and how a bile duct injury would be managed.
Published figures to discuss
Risk depends heavily on whether the operation is elective or for acute inflammation, on the degree of scarring and inflammation, and on the surgeon's and unit's experience. The ranges below are cautious figures from surgical literature and registries, not guarantees for any one person. Emergency operations carry higher conversion and complication rates than planned ones.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injury to the main bile duct | Around 0.3–0.7% in keyhole surgery (historically lower with open surgery) | Rare but serious; higher with severe inflammation or unclear anatomy. May need major repair surgery. | Audit of postoperative complications and conversion rate in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (PMC)ncbi.nlm.nih.govPublished figure |
| Conversion from keyhole to open surgery | Roughly 1–10%, commonly around 2–3% for planned (elective) cases and higher (around 9%) for emergency cases | A safety decision, not a failure; more likely with acute cholecystitis, obesity or previous abdominal surgery. | Audit of postoperative complications and conversion rate in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (PMC)ncbi.nlm.nih.govPublished figure |
| Bile leak | Uncommon; many series report around 0.3–2.7%, with lower rates in straightforward elective cases | May settle on its own or need drainage or a telescope procedure (ERCP). | Audit of postoperative complications and conversion rate in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (PMC)ncbi.nlm.nih.govPublished figure |
| Wound infection / bleeding | Uncommon; wound infection is usually low single figures and significant bleeding is rarer | More likely with open surgery, diabetes, obesity or smoking. | Audit of postoperative complications and conversion rate in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (PMC)ncbi.nlm.nih.govSource-linked context |
| Retained bile duct stone | Uncommon, often around 1–2% in consent discussions and series | May need a separate ERCP to remove it after surgery. | Audit of postoperative complications and conversion rate in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (PMC)ncbi.nlm.nih.govPublished figure |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
Recovery — what to expect, and when
After keyhole surgery most people recover within 1–2 weeks. Open surgery takes longer. Mild digestive changes can settle over weeks to months.
- Soreness around the small cuts for a few days
- Shoulder-tip pain after keyhole surgery that settles within days
- Tiredness for a week or so after the anaesthetic
- Looser or more frequent stools, especially after fatty meals, often improving over weeks
- Some bruising around the wounds
Aftercare
- Take painkillers regularly at first, then reduce as the pain settles.
- Keep wounds clean and dry and follow advice on showering and dressings.
- Walk little and often to aid recovery and reduce clot risk.
- Build up to a normal diet; you may prefer lighter, lower-fat meals at first.
- Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity until advised it is safe.
- Do not drive until you can brake hard comfortably and your insurer agrees.
- Watch for warning signs such as jaundice, fever or worsening pain.
- Keep your follow-up appointment and report any concerns.
- Painkillers in stock and a plan for taking them regularly
- Light, lower-fat meals and plenty of fluids ready
- Loose, comfortable clothing
- Someone to drive you home and stay for the first day
- Time off work booked (about 1–2 weeks for keyhole)
- Knowledge of warning signs (jaundice, fever, severe pain)
- The clinic's contact number saved for problems
Scars and how they heal
Keyhole surgery leaves a few small scars, usually including one near the navel, which fade over months to become discreet. Open surgery leaves a longer scar under the right ribs. Scars are pink and firm at first; sun protection helps them settle.
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice) or dark urine and pale stools
- Severe or worsening tummy pain, especially with fever
- Spreading redness, heat, swelling or discharge from a wound (possible infection)
- A high temperature or feeling very unwell
- Persistent vomiting or being unable to keep fluids down
- A swollen, hot or painful calf, or breathlessness or chest pain (possible clot — call 999)
- Bleeding from a wound that does not stop
Who to contact: your surgeon or clinic first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
For most people, removing the gallbladder ends the painful gallstone attacks and removes the risk of future gallstone complications. Recovery after keyhole surgery is usually quick.
Surgery cannot promise that every digestive symptom will disappear — some people had other causes for their symptoms, and a minority have ongoing indigestion or loose stools afterwards. A good surgeon checks that gallstones are really the cause of your symptoms before recommending the operation.
Removing the gallbladder is a permanent solution to gallstones, because the organ that forms them is gone. Very occasionally a stone can form in or remain in the bile duct and need separate treatment. Most people have no long-term restrictions, though some choose to keep fatty meals modest if they notice looser stools.
Combining with other procedures
If a stone is blocking the bile duct, clearing the duct (sometimes by a separate telescope procedure, ERCP) may be planned around the gallbladder operation. Removal is not usually combined with unrelated surgery, and you should be cautious about add-on procedures you did not come for.
Follow-up & long-term care
Many straightforward keyhole operations need little routine follow-up, but you should be told who to contact and when, and have any biopsy or bile duct results explained. You should have a clear route back to the team for wound problems, jaundice, persistent pain or ongoing digestive symptoms.
- Build back up to normal activity and lifting gradually.
- Adjust your diet if you notice looser stools after fatty meals; this often eases with time.
- Seek review if indigestion, pain or jaundice develops or persists.
- Stop smoking and keep to a healthy weight to support recovery and general health.
Revision and secondary surgery reality
- If a stone is left in the bile duct, a separate telescope procedure (ERCP) is often needed to clear it.
- A bile leak may need a drain or stent placed at ERCP.
- A bile duct injury can require major reconstructive surgery, ideally at a specialist (tertiary) centre.
- If only part of the gallbladder was removed for safety, occasionally further treatment is needed later.
Ask your surgeon for their own revision rate, what counts as a revision, and what is included in the written aftercare policy.
What good aftercare looks like
- Clear written advice on wound care, pain relief, activity, diet and when to drive and return to work.
- Specific warning to seek urgent help for jaundice, fever or worsening pain (possible bile leak or duct problem).
- A named contact and out-of-hours number for problems.
- Explanation of any tissue or bile duct results and any need for further treatment.
- A clear route back to the team for persistent digestive symptoms.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- Keyhole versus open approach
- Surgeon's and anaesthetist's fees
- Theatre/facility time and whether a hospital stay is needed
- Any extra tests during surgery, such as a bile duct X-ray (cholangiogram)
- Complexity, including severe inflammation or previous abdominal surgery
- Whether a separate procedure (such as ERCP) is needed to clear the bile duct
- Follow-up and the policy if a complication occurs
- The surgeon's fee and the anaesthetist's fee
- The hospital/facility and theatre fee, and any overnight stay
- Any bile duct imaging during surgery
- Whether a separate bile duct procedure (ERCP) is covered if needed
- Follow-up appointments and dressings/stitch removal
- The cancellation policy
- What happens, and who pays, if there is a complication such as a bile leak or conversion to open
On the NHS? Gallbladder removal is widely available on the NHS when gallstones cause symptoms or complications; private care is often chosen for speed or choice of surgeon, and symptom-free stones are usually monitored on either pathway.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Recommending surgery for symptom-free gallstones found by chance.
- Not confirming that gallstones are the likely cause of the symptoms.
- Bile duct injury not being clearly explained as a rare but serious risk.
- No discussion of the chance of converting to open surgery.
- No written aftercare plan or clear warning about jaundice and other danger signs.
Marketing red flags
- Describing the operation as 'quick' or 'without risks' without mentioning bile duct injury.
- Promising it will cure all indigestion or abdominal symptoms.
- Recommending removal for stones that cause no symptoms.
- No mention of conversion to open surgery or what happens if a complication occurs.
Choosing a surgeon safely
- Check your surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they practise at a CQC-registered location, and look for membership of bodies like BAAPS or BAPRAS.
- You're entitled to a two-stage consent process with time to reflect (a cooling-off period). The surgeon who will operate must consent you — not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers, discounts or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.
- Are you sure my symptoms are caused by gallstones rather than something else?
- Will this be keyhole surgery, and how likely is conversion to open in my case?
- How often do you do this operation, and what is your bile duct injury rate?
- What will you do if the anatomy is unclear or the gallbladder is very inflamed?
- Could a stone be in my bile duct, and how would you check or treat that?
- What digestive changes might I notice afterwards?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the surgeon who carries out my operation, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this operation not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Can I have this done on the NHS?
Can I live without a gallbladder?
Why remove the whole gallbladder instead of just the stones?
How long is the recovery?
What is the most serious risk?
Will my digestion be affected long-term?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: NHS — Gallbladder removal NHS — Gallstones NICE CKS — Gallstones Bile Duct Injury — StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf) Audit of postoperative complications and conversion rate in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (PMC) Open conversion in laparoscopic cholecystectomy — subspecialisation and conversion rates (PMC) Safe cholecystectomy multi-society practice guideline — SAGES Bile leak after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: analysis of 5,675 cases
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
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