The term “gallbladder disease” is used for several types of conditions that can affect your gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped sac located underneath your liver. Your gallbladder’s main function is to store the bile produced by your liver and pass it along to the small intestine. Bile helps you digest fats in your small intestine.
The majority of gallbladder diseases are caused by inflammation due to irritation of the gallbladder wall, which is known as cholecystitis. This inflammation is often due to gallstones blocking the ducts leading to the small intestine and causing bile to build up. It may eventually lead to necrosis (tissue destruction) or gangrene. Other diseases of the gallbladder include gallbladder polyps and gallbladder cancer.
If you have gallbladder disease and your symptoms get worse, your doctor may suggest surgery. Gallbladder removal surgery is called cholecystectomy. It can be done with open surgery or minimally invasive surgery.
Common surgery approaches are open surgery and minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy), which includes da Vinci Surgery.
Using the da Vinci Surgical System, surgeons operate through a few small incisions. The da Vinci System has a 3D HD vision system that gives doctors a magnified view inside the body. It also has tiny instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human hand. These features enable surgeons to operate with enhanced vision, precision and control.
da Vinci surgery offers the following potential benefits compared to traditional laparoscopy:
- Lower blood loss;
- Quicker return of bowel function;
- Lower rate of complications;
- Shorter hospital stay;
- Small incisions for minimal scarring.
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