Digestive health centre

Antibiotics

You will first be given an injection of antibiotics into your vein. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are used, which can kill a wide range of different bacteria. 

Once your symptoms have stabilised, you may be sent home and given an appointment to return for surgical treatment (see below).

Alternatively, if your symptoms are particularly severe or you have a high risk of complications, you may be referred for surgery a few days after antibiotic treatment.

A cholecystectomy is the most widely used type of surgery for cases of acute cholecystitis.

Cholecystectomy

A cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. There are two types of cholecystectomy:

• laparoscopic cholecystectomy
• open cholecystectomy

These are described below.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a type of 'keyhole' surgery. It is the most widely used type of cholecystectomy. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy is carried out under a general anaesthetic, which means you will be asleep during the operation and will not feel any pain.

During a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the surgeon will make four small cuts, each about 1cm or smaller, in your abdomen (tummy) wall. One incision will be made near your belly button and the other three will be made across your upper abdomen.

Your abdomen will be inflated with carbon dioxide gas that is passed through the cuts. Inflating your abdomen gives the surgeon a better view of your organs and more room in which to work.

The surgeon will pass an instrument called a laparoscope through one of the incisions. A laparoscope is a small, flexible tube that has a light source and a camera at one end. The camera transmits images of the inside of your abdomen to a television monitor.

The surgeon will then pass small instruments down the laparoscope that can remove your gallbladder and any gallstones. After your gallbladder has been removed, the incisions will be closed.

As a laparoscopic cholecystectomy only involves making small cuts in your abdomen, you will not experience much pain afterwards. You should also recover quickly from the effects of the operation. Most people are able to return home either on the day of the surgery or the day after.

See the Health A-Z topic about Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for more information about the procedure.

Open cholecystectomy

A laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not recommended if you:

• are in the third trimester (the last three months) of pregnancy
• are obese (very overweight with a body mass index of 30 or more)
• have cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
• have a condition that affects your blood's ability to clot, such as haemophilia

In these circumstances, an open cholecystectomy may be recommended.

An open cholecystectomy may also be carried out if a planned laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not successful.

As with a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, an open cholecystectomy will be carried out under general anaesthetic so you will not feel any pain during the procedure. The surgeon will make a large cut in your abdomen to remove your gallbladder.

An open cholecystectomy is an effective method of treating acute cholecystitis, but it has a longer recovery time than laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Most people take about six weeks to recover from an open cholecystectomy.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy

If your symptoms are severe or you are in poor health, your care team may decide that immediate surgery is too dangerous.

In such circumstances, a temporary measure known as a percutaneous cholecystostomy may be carried out. A percutaneous cholecystostomy is performed under a local anaesthetic, which numbs your abdomen. This means you will be awake during the procedure.

The surgeon will use an ultrasound scan to guide a needle to the site of your gallbladder. The needle is then used to drain bile out of the gallbladder, which should help relieve any inflammation (swelling). Once your symptoms improve, your gallbladder can be surgically removed.

Acute

Acute means occurring suddenly or over a short period of time.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are medicines that can be used to treat infections caused by micro-organisms, usually bacteria or fungi. Examples of antibiotics include amoxicillin, streptomycin and erythromycin.

Intravenous

Intravenous (IV) means the injection of blood, drugs or fluids into the bloodstream through a vein.

Vein

Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from the rest of the body back to the heart.