cholecystectomy /kō′lisistek″təmē/ [Gk, chole + kystis, bag, ektomē, excision] , the surgical removal of the gallbladder, performed to treat cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, and gallbladder cancer. Surgery may be delayed while the acute inflammation is treated. Under general anesthesia, the gallbladder is excised and the cystic duct ligated, the common duct is explored, and any stones found are removed. The most common complication is disruption of the hepatic or other ducts of the biliary system, requiring surgical correction. Wound infection, hemorrhage, bile leakage, and jaundice may also occur. When possible, cholecystectomy is done as a laparoscopic procedure. See also cholecystitis, cholelithiasis.
