Gallbladder Surgery

Learn about gallbladder surgery and understand your options

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Your gallbladder is a small organ that stores bile, a digestive juice your liver produces to break down fat in food. After you eat, the gallbladder releases stored bile into your small intestine through narrow tubes called ducts. Gallbladders can become inflamed (called cholecystitis) and ducts can be blocked, often because of small hard masses called gallstones that form, producing symptoms that range from mild discomfort to intense pain.
Physician taking notes while talking to a patient
da vinci surgeon looking into surgeon console viewer

It’s important to remember that Intuitive does not provide medical advice. After discussing all options with your doctor, only you and your doctor can determine whether surgery with the da Vinci system is appropriate for your situation. You should always ask your surgeon about his or her training, experience, and patient outcomes.

Why surgery with da Vinci?

Robotic-assisted surgery with a da Vinci system gives surgeons access to technology features that include:
  • A high-definition 3D camera system with high magnification that provides immersive viewing of the gallbladder and surrounding area.
  • Firefly fluorescence imaging which offers visualization beyond the human eye by activating injected dye to light up and clearly show the gallbladder and surrounding structures, including the ducts.
  • Da Vinci Single-Site technology, which allows surgeons to make just one incision near the belly button, providing patients with nearly scarless results.

All surgery involves risk. You can read more about associated risks of cholecystectomy here.

Questions you can ask your doctor

  • What medical options are available for my gallbladder pain?
  • What happens if I don’t get surgery?
  • What are the differences between open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted surgery?
  • Can you tell me about your training, experience, and patient outcomes with da Vinci?
  • How will I feel after surgery?

More about general surgery with da Vinci

Robotic-assisted surgery with da Vinci technology is used in many different types of procedures by general surgeons.

  1. Removal Surgery (Cholecystectomy) Patient Information from SAGES. SAGES. Web. 21 January 2019
  2. Cholecystitis Diagnosis & Treatment. Mayo Clinic. Web. 21 January 2019
  3. Gallbladder, Cholecystectomy, Open. StatPearls. Web. 14 January 2019