“How many hours does gallbladder surgery take?”
I am a 55 year old male. I will have gallbladder surgery. How many hours does gallbladder surgery take?
7 Answers
I do my surgery laparoscopically and have removed a large majority of gall bladders in 15-20 minutes. Only with a badly infected gallbladder does it take near one hour.
About 2-6 hours.
Routine laparoscopic cholecystectomy (minimally invasive gall bladder removal) generally takes 30-60 minutes depending on the degree of inflammation in the gallbladder. Additional factors that could prolong the surgery would include cirrhosis of the liver, common bile duct stones with obstruction or prior abdominal surgery with adhesions. Your surgeon should be able to anticipate these and counsel you accordingly.
It depends on how difficult the case is which can vary with how inflamed or diseased the gallbladder is. If the case is straightforward and easy it can take under 30 minutes but if it is very difficult it can take a few hours. I hope this helps.
Thanks so much for your question. Gallbladder removal or cholecystectomy is typically done laparoscopically through four small incisions. If done electively, the procedure takes roughly 45 minutes and is done as an out-patient with same-day discharge. If performed under emergent circumstances, it is more likely that a high degree of inflammation will be present and the surgery may take 1-2 hours, and you may be admitted to the hospital. Make sure to stick to a low fat diet for at least two months following surgery.
Michael Svestka, MD
Michael Svestka, MD
A laparoscopic cholecystectomy is around 30 to 45 min
A laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder) typically takes about 30-90 minutes depending on how severe the inflammation is.
