Gallbladder removal is often done using keyhole surgery, which means your surgeon won't have to make a large cut in your abdomen.
Keyhole surgery to remove your gallbladder normally takes between 30 and 90 minutes. Your surgeon will usually make four small cuts in your abdomen. He or she will inflate your abdomen using harmless carbon dioxide gas to create space and to make it easier to see your internal organs. Your surgeon will then pass a laparoscope (a long, thin telescope with a light and camera lens at the tip) through one of the cuts to view your internal organs on a monitor.
Your surgeon will then insert specially adapted surgical instruments through the other cuts so that he or she can remove your gallbladder.
During the operation your surgeon may take X-rays to check there are no gallstones in the bile duct.
At the end of the operation, the carbon dioxide gas is allowed to escape and the instruments are removed. Your surgeon will close the wounds with stitches or metal clips and cover them with a dressing.