Type of Surgery
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Last updated: 11/24/2009
Overall, cholelithasis is found in about 20,000,000 Americans. An overwhelming majority of these individuals do not ever develop symptoms. Overall, about 500,000 to 600,000 (2–3%) are treated with cholecystectomies every year. Typically, the incidence...
of cholelithasis increases with age. The greatest incidence occurs in individuals between the ages of 40 and 60 years. The following groups are at an increased risk for developing choleliathiasis:
- pregnant women
- female sex
- family history of gallstones
- obesity
- certain types of intestinal disease
- age greater than 40 years
- oral contraceptive use
- diabetes mellitus
- estrogen replacement therapy
- rapid weight loss
Overall, patients with cholelathiasis have about a 20% chance of developing biliary colic (the extremely painful complication that usually requires surgery) over a 20-year period.
Acute cholecystitis develops most commonly in women between the ages of 40 and 60 years. Some ethnic groups such as Native Americans have a dramatically higher incidence of cholecystitis.
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This video shows precisely what a surgeon sees during a laparoscopic cholescystectomy. A laparoscopic cholescystectomy is gallbladder removal surgery using small incisions and cameras rather than a large abdominal incision. This video may be difficult for some viewers since it shows surgery on actual human tissue.
In a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, four small incisions are made in the abdomen (A). The abdomen is filled with carbon dioxide, and the surgeon views internal structures with a video monitor (B). The gallbladder is located and cut with laparoscopic scissors (C). It is then removed through an incision (D). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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Cholecystectomy (pronounced /ˌkɔləsɪsˈtɛktəmi/, plural: cholecystectomies) is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. Despite the development of non-surgical techniques, it is the most common method for treating symptomatic gallstones, although there are other indications for the procedure, including carcinoma. Each year more than 500,000 Americans have gallbladder surgery. Surgery options include the standard procedure, called laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and an older more invasive procedure, called open cholecystectomy. A cholecystectomy is performed when attempts to treat gallstones with ultrasound to shatter the stones (lithotripsy) or medications to dissolve them have not proved feasible.
Other Information
In 2000, the estimated number of doctor visits and outpatient hospital visits by patients aged 20 or older with UTI or cystitis listed as a diagnosis was of 8.27 million visits (1.41 million men; 6.86 million women) with UTI as the primary diagnosis.
From: NKUDIC
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