Cholecystectomy

Last revised by Craig Hacking ◉ on 25 Feb 2025

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Knipe H, Hacking C, Walizai T, et al. Cholecystectomy. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 26 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-41457

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-41457

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/41457

rID:

41457

Article created:

2 Dec 2015, Henry Knipe ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.

View Henry Knipe's current disclosures

Last revised:

25 Feb 2025, Craig Hacking ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had the following disclosures:

Philips Australia, Paid speaker at Philips Spectral CT events (ongoing)

These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.

View Craig Hacking's current disclosures

Revisions:

14 times, by 9 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Hepatobiliary

Tags:

general surgery, procedure, reference needed

Synonyms:

Gallbladder removal
Cholecystectomies

Cholecystectomies are one of the most common surgical procedures performed. Evidence of a cholecystectomy is often seen on imaging procedures with surgical clips in the gallbladder fossa and radiologists should be aware of possible complications.

Cholecystectomies are almost always performed laparoscopically ⁴. Open procedures are often the result of conversion from a laparoscopic approach. Historically open cholecystectomies were standard, usually via a Kocher incision, leaving a characteristic scar in the patient's right subcostal region.

Complications

Overall complication rate is low, at ~3% ³

operative
- hemorrhage
- iatrogenic gallbladder perforation (can result in dropped gallstones)
- common bile duct injury
post-operative
- hemorrhage
- bile leak/biloma formation
- biliary obstruction, e.g. from retained gallstones, clipping of the common bile duct
- abscess
- retained gallstones
- umbilical incisional hernia (from trocar insertion)
- sphincter of Oddi dysfunction
- cystic duct stone