Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy:

 

This is a surgical procedure during which the doctor removes the gall bladder. This is achieved by cutting small incision on the abdomen through which a laparoscopic (a narrow tube camera) is inserted to visualize the operation.

 

Indication:

 The gall bladder is located around the liver in the right upper side of the abdomen. It stores bile, a fluid made by the liver.

This bile helps digest fats in the food been eaten. Gall stone can block the flow of bile in the digestive system. The blockage can cause symptoms such as:

 

Nausea or vomiting

 Pain in the abdomen, shoulder, back or chest

 Jaundice (yellowness of the skin or eyes)

 

Diagnosis:

 This includes physical examination to elicit some signs (Murphy’s sign) blood tests which include complete blood count, sercum bilinibin and alkaline phosphate.

 A number of techniques, particularly, endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC), are proving to be equally effective for detecting common bile duct stones.

 

Treatment:

 Why the Smile about Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

 Some years back, when a diagnosis of gall bladder stone is made, treatment has be open surgery (exploratory laparotomy). A surgery where a vertical incision of about 5-8cm is made on the abdomen (under general anaesthesia) to access the liver and gall bladder.

 Even though still practice in some place, our expert team of doctors no longer use that technique but rather simple laparoscopic cholecystectomy as mentioned in the introduction.

 

Advantages of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy:

 It is simple with fast recovery

 No hospital stay

 Get back to work in a week

 Less invasive with minimal scar

 It is affordable

 No or minimal blood loss