General Surgery
Gallbladder Surgery in Antalya
Laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder for gallstones and inflammation — one of the most frequently performed operations in general surgery, carried out by Dr. Mani Habibi in Antalya.
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- Procedure
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- Anaesthesia
- General anaesthesia
- Operating time
- Approximately 30–60 minutes
- Hospital stay
- Usually 1 night
- Return to work
- Desk work in about 1 week
What is gallbladder surgery?
Gallbladder surgery, or cholecystectomy, is an operation to remove the gallbladder — a small pear-shaped organ beneath the liver that stores bile. It is performed when gallstones cause pain, inflammation or complications. In the great majority of cases it is carried out laparoscopically through four small incisions. The gallbladder stores bile but does not produce it, so after removal the liver continues to make bile, which flows directly into the intestine.
An important point: only the gallbladder is removed, not the stones alone. Removing stones while leaving the gallbladder in place is not effective, because the underlying tendency to form stones remains and they simply recur.
What are the symptoms of gallstones?
Many people with gallstones have no symptoms at all and the stones are found incidentally on an ultrasound scan. When symptoms do occur, they typically include:
- Pain in the upper right abdomen, often severe, sometimes spreading to the back or right shoulder blade
- Attacks after fatty meals, lasting from thirty minutes to several hours (biliary colic)
- Nausea, vomiting, bloating and intolerance of fatty or fried food
- Warning signs: fever, persistent pain, or yellowing of the skin or eyes — these suggest infection or a blocked bile duct and need urgent assessment
Surgery is generally recommended when gallstones cause symptoms, because attacks tend to recur and complications such as acute cholecystitis, pancreatitis or bile duct obstruction become more likely over time. Stones found by chance in someone with no symptoms often do not require an operation, and are usually monitored instead.
Seek urgent care if: severe abdominal pain persists for more than a few hours, is accompanied by fever, or if the skin or whites of the eyes turn yellow. These can indicate acute infection of the gallbladder, pancreatitis or a stone blocking the bile duct.
How is laparoscopic gallbladder surgery performed?
Diagnosis and preparation
Ultrasound confirms the stones; blood tests check liver function. Further imaging such as MRCP is used if a bile duct stone is suspected.
Laparoscopic access
Under general anaesthesia, four small incisions are made — one at the navel for the camera and three for the instruments.
Identifying the structures
The cystic duct and artery are carefully identified and secured — the critical safety step of the operation, protecting the main bile duct.
Removal and closure
The gallbladder is separated from the liver bed and removed through one of the small incisions, which are then closed.
What does recovery look like?
What happens to digestion without a gallbladder?
The liver continues to produce bile as normal; without a gallbladder to store it, bile simply flows continuously into the intestine instead of being released in larger amounts after meals. Most people digest food normally afterwards and need no special long-term diet. In the first weeks some notice looser stools or discomfort after very fatty meals, which usually improves as the body adjusts. A small proportion have longer-lasting loose stools, which can be managed medically.
What are the risks of gallbladder surgery?
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common and well-established operation, but like all surgery it carries risks:
- Early: bleeding, wound infection, bile leak, reaction to anaesthesia
- Uncommon but serious: injury to the main bile duct, or a retained stone in the bile duct requiring endoscopic removal
- Conversion to open surgery: occasionally necessary when inflammation or scarring makes the laparoscopic view unsafe — this is a safety decision, not a complication
Timing matters: an operation performed during a severe acute attack is technically harder than one planned after the inflammation has settled. Where the situation allows, surgery is scheduled at the safest point rather than the earliest.
Do all gallstones need surgery?
| Situation | Usual approach | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Stones with no symptoms | Usually monitoring | Many never cause problems |
| Recurrent biliary colic | Planned surgery | Attacks tend to recur and worsen |
| Acute cholecystitis | Surgery, timing individualised | Risk of further complications |
| Stone in the bile duct | ERCP first, then surgery | Duct must be cleared before removal |
| Gallstone pancreatitis | Surgery after recovery | High risk of recurrence otherwise |
| Gallbladder polyps | Depends on size and growth | Larger polyps need closer attention |
This table is a general guide only. The decision depends on your symptoms, ultrasound findings, liver blood tests and general health. See other general surgery treatments.
General surgeon specialising in obesity and metabolic surgery in Antalya, Türkiye. Trained in bariatric surgery at the Cleveland Clinic (USA), recipient of the EAES Fellowship Award 2018, IFSO member, co-author of 40+ peer-reviewed publications. Full profile →
FAQ
Gallbladder surgery — frequently asked questions
How long does gallbladder surgery take?
Laparoscopic gallbladder removal usually takes about 30 to 60 minutes under general anaesthesia. Most patients stay one night in hospital.
Can I live normally without a gallbladder?
Yes. The gallbladder stores bile but does not produce it. After removal the liver continues to make bile, which flows directly into the intestine. Most people eat normally without any long-term restriction.
Can gallstones be removed without taking out the gallbladder?
Removing the stones alone is not an effective treatment, because the gallbladder that produced them remains and stones simply form again. For this reason the standard operation removes the whole gallbladder.
What should I eat after gallbladder surgery?
A light, lower-fat diet is usually advised for the first two to four weeks, then a normal diet is gradually resumed. Very fatty and fried foods are the ones most often poorly tolerated at first. Most people need no permanent dietary restriction.
How long should international patients stay in Antalya?
For a planned laparoscopic gallbladder operation, four to five days is usually sufficient — allowing for tests, surgery, one night in hospital and a check before flying home.
Does gallbladder surgery leave visible scars?
The operation is performed through four small incisions, the largest around one to two centimetres. These usually fade considerably over the first year.
Why might laparoscopic surgery become open surgery?
In a small number of cases severe inflammation, dense scarring or unclear anatomy makes it unsafe to continue laparoscopically. Converting to open surgery is then a deliberate safety decision rather than a complication, and this possibility is always discussed beforehand.
Related Treatments
Other general surgery treatments
Questions about your gallstones?
Share your symptoms and any ultrasound or blood test results. Dr. Habibi will review them personally and advise whether surgery is needed.
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