Guide
Keyhole or open gallbladder surgery: what the NHS says
Updated
The two ways of removing a gallbladder involve different recoveries and, in a private setting, different bills. Here is what the NHS says about each, in its own terms.
Keyhole removal, the usual route
The NHS says most people have keyhole surgery, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and describes it step by step: a small cut in the tummy usually just below the belly button plus a few more on the right-hand side, air pumped in so the surgeon can see, a laparoscope passed in so images show on a screen, small tools used to remove the gallbladder, then the air released and the cuts closed with stitches and a dressing (nhs.uk). Some surgeons use a technique with only a single cut.
Open surgery, and when it is used
The NHS states that open surgery is sometimes used to remove the gallbladder, only where the gallbladder is very inflamed or where keyhole removal is not possible. In open surgery a single larger cut is made in the tummy, which the NHS says can mean more pain afterwards and a longer recovery.
What both have in common
- Anaesthetic
- The NHS says you have a general anaesthetic, so you are asleep and unable to feel pain or discomfort.
- How long it takes
- The NHS says the operation usually takes about 1 hour.
- Going home
- The NHS says you can usually go home the same day, though some people need to stay overnight, and advises asking someone to drive you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours.
- Back to work
- The NHS says you may be able to return to work 1 to 2 weeks after the operation, depending on the type of work and the type of surgery, and that heavy lifting or long periods standing may mean longer.
- Driving
- The NHS says not to drive until you can do an emergency stop without pain or discomfort, and to check your insurance policy for rules about driving after surgery.
Why this matters to a quote
- A published price almost always assumes the straightforward keyhole case. Ask what happens if the surgeon converts to open surgery once the operation has started.
- Ask whether an unplanned overnight stay is inside the figure. Practice Plus Group's published terms say an overnight stay required is included in its fixed price; other providers word this differently.
- Longer recovery has a cost outside the hospital bill, in time off work. Factor the NHS 1 to 2 week guidance, and longer for heavy manual work, into your own decision.
Which operation is appropriate is a decision for your surgeon, made on your scans and your anatomy, and sometimes only during the procedure itself. Nothing here should be read as advice about your case.