Patient guide
The gall bladder is a pear-shaped organ, about the size of a golf ball, that lies just beneath the right side of the liver. Its main function is to act as a reservoir to collect and concentrate bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver. Bile, a clear golden-yellow liquid, is needed for digesting fats. After eating, bile is released from the gall bladder and travels down the bile ducts into the small intestine.
Gall bladder problems are usually caused by gallstones, formed mainly of cholesterol and bile salts. Over time, sediments may grow into gallstones. It is not known why some people develop stones and there is no known means to prevent them. Gallstones may block the flow of bile, causing the gall bladder to swell. Patients may experience sharp abdominal pain that can radiate to the back or shoulder, fever, vomiting or indigestion. If a gallstone blocks the common bile duct, jaundice (a yellow discolouration of the skin) may occur.
Many gallstones cause no symptoms, and are often discovered on a scan done for something else.1 Where symptoms do occur, they range from discomfort after eating, especially with fatty food, to severe cramping pain across the middle and right of the upper abdomen.1
Gallstones are more common in women than men, in people who are overweight, and in those with haemolytic conditions.1
Stones that cause symptoms are treated because of the complications that can follow. These include infection of the gall bladder, and blockage of the bile duct, which can cause fever and jaundice. A stone travelling down the bile duct can also block the pancreatic duct and inflame the pancreas, known as pancreatitis.1
Following a medical history and physical examination, your doctor will usually order an abdominal ultrasound or CT scan and some blood tests to confirm the presence of gallstones. A scan is needed to confirm gallstones. Ultrasound is the usual choice, and stones may also show up on a CT or MRI of the abdomen.1
Once formed, gallstones do not go away unless the gall bladder is removed. Medications to dissolve gallstones and dietary changes have little success and are generally not recommended. Surgery to remove the gall bladder is the established treatment, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the procedure of choice.1
Open surgery is the traditional method, done through a long incision. With advances in technology, the operation can now be performed by the keyhole (laparoscopic, minimally invasive) method, through a few small incisions. A laparoscope gives a magnified view of the internal organs on a screen, and instruments are used to detach the gall bladder from the liver bed and remove it through one of the incisions.
Compared with the open method, there is usually less pain afterwards, a shorter stay, a faster recovery and smaller scars. Most patients go home the same day or the day after, and are back to their usual routine within seven days.1
Most patients are eligible for the laparoscopic method, but some may not be suitable (for example those with previous upper-abdominal surgery or complex medical conditions) and the open method is used instead. Occasionally, surgery started laparoscopically may need to be converted to open, for example with dense scarring, difficulty visualising the anatomy, or bleeding. In a small number of cases, an operation started laparoscopically is converted to the open method.1 This is a judgement made by your surgeon based strictly on patient safety.
Most patients experience few or no complications. Uncommon complications include bleeding, pneumonia, blood clots, heart attack or stroke. Unintended injury to nearby structures such as the common bile duct or small intestine may rarely require further surgery, and bile leakage can occasionally occur.
The gall bladder stores and concentrates bile, but it does not make it. Once the gall bladder is removed, the liver carries on producing bile, which flows into the intestine as before.1 Most people notice no lasting difference in what they can eat.
Some changes in the first weeks are normal. Abdominal bloating and more frequent stools are both common afterwards, and both usually resolve within a couple of months.1 Building fatty foods back gradually rather than all at once tends to make that period easier.
See a doctor if you have repeated bouts of upper abdominal pain, particularly after fatty meals. The same applies if a scan done for something else has shown gallstones and you want to know whether they need treating.
Seek attention immediately if you develop fever with abdominal pain, yellowing of the eyes or skin, or severe pain that does not settle. These can point to infection, a blocked bile duct or pancreatitis.
No. Many cause no symptoms, and are often discovered on a scan done for something else.1 Surgery is generally considered once stones are causing symptoms or complications. Dr Chen will advise on your situation.
Once formed, gallstones do not go away unless the gall bladder is removed. Medications to dissolve them and dietary changes have little success and are generally not recommended. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the procedure of choice for removing the gall bladder.1
Most people are back to their usual routine within seven days of the laparoscopic procedure.1 This varies with how the operation went, and Dr Chen will provide specific guidance.
Usually, but not always. In a small number of cases the operation is converted to the open method.1
Generally yes. The liver carries on producing bile, which flows into the intestine as before.1 Abdominal bloating and more frequent stools are common afterwards, and both usually resolve within a couple of months.1
Uncommon complications include bleeding, pneumonia and blood clots. Unintended injury to nearby structures such as the common bile duct or small intestine may rarely require further surgery, and bile leakage can occasionally occur. Dr Chen will discuss these with you before you begin treatment.
BUILD NOTE: Dr Chen’s original text is preserved throughout; the added sections and all cited figures have NOT yet been read by him. The SingHealth source was fetched and checked on 22 September 2026 and shows no review date, which is a weakness worth noting. The complication and conversion rates are SingHealth’s published figures, not this clinic’s outcomes, and the page says so.
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