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GALLSTONES–
LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY
Risks:
The major risk of gallbladder surgery is injury to the bile duct.
The bile duct conveys bile from the liver to the intestine. This
injury occurs about one to two times per thousand patients with
the “open” operation and two to three times per thousand
patients with the laparoscopic technique. Bile duct injury would
require a major open procedure to repair the duct. The bile duct
repair has a 5% risk of failure over time. Internal organs can be
injured by the trocars (small tubes that permit instrument
insertion through the four abdominal punctures) and bleeding can
occur during the operation. These injuries could necessitate
conversion of the laparoscopic operation to open surgery. There are
also the "usual" risks associated with general anesthesia.
Benefits:
Most patients experience a forty-five minute operation, leave the
hospital within twenty-four hours and gradually resume their
normal activities over the next five to seven days. Only a few
doses of pain medicine are needed after surgery and 30% of
patients need no prescription pain medicine at all. The average
time for patients to return to golf and tennis is less than two
weeks. Bear in mind, however, that each person responds in his or
her own way to surgery and anesthesia, and individual results may
vary.
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