What is the surgical removal of the gallbladder called?

The surgical removal of the gallbladder is called a cholecystectomy.

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ beneath the liver. It stores and concentrates bile, a fluid made by the liver that helps digest dietary fats. When a gallstone blocks the gallbladder or bile ducts, it can cause severe pain, inflammation, infection, or pancreatitis. In such cases, removing the gallbladder is a common treatment.

Most cholecystectomies are laparoscopic procedures, performed through several small abdominal incisions using a camera and specialized instruments. Open surgery, involving a larger incision, may be needed when inflammation, scarring, or complications make keyhole surgery unsafe. The liver continues producing bile after surgery; it simply flows directly into the small intestine rather than being stored in the gallbladder.

A common mix-up is confusing cholecystectomy with appendectomy, which removes the appendix, or colectomy, which removes part of the colon. “Cholecyst-” refers to the gallbladder, while “-ectomy” means surgical removal.