Laparoscopy is usually performed on patients who have electively chosen to have their gallbladders removed. It is even proving to be safe for pregnant women who require cholecystectomy. Studies are indicating that it may be a good option as emergency surgery for elderly patients who at risk for complications from anesthesia because of other underlying medical conditions. It is not usually the procedure of choice for people with acute cholecystitis in whom gangrene has developed. With laparoscopy, removal of the gallbladder is guided by a laparoscope, which is a bit like a periscope.
General anesthesia is required.
The surgeon first creates space in the abdomen by filling it with carbon dioxide, which flows out of a needle inserted through the navel. Four small incisions in the abdomen enable the surgeon to insert instruments and a laparoscope, a thin telescope that can relay an image of the area to a video monitor. The surgeon separates the gallbladder from the liver and other areas and removes it through one of the incisions. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy requires general anesthesia, but patients can still leave the hospital earlier than with open surgery, the incision is small, and there is less post-operative pain and disability than with the open procedure. The procedure is now commonly done as outpatient surgery .