Private gallbladder surgery Crawley

Spire Gatwick Park is a well-established provider of private hospital treatments to patients in Surrey and Sussex.

If you need your gallbladder removed to relieve complications due to gallstones, our consultants can provide you with a personalised treatment and recovery plan. You can expect to receive high-quality care in a clean, comfortable environment.

We offer fast access to diagnostic tests and scans, consultations and treatments.

Keyhole surgery is most often performed for gallbladder removal because it means smaller incisions (cuts) and a shorter recovery period than with open surgery. Keyhole procedures that we offer include:

• Standard keyhole removal (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) – small incisions are made and small instruments are used
• Single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) – only one incision is made near your naval (tummy button) and special instruments are used, resulting in minimal, discrete scarring and usually a short recovery time

These procedures may not be suitable for everyone and sometimes open surgery may be required - such as if you've had previous surgery to your abdomen. Occasionally, during a keyhole procedure, your consultant may not be able to access or remove your gallbladder and so may need to convert to an open surgery to complete the removal. Your consultant will explain this to you beforehand and answer any questions you might have.

Coming into hospital

We're just a few miles from Gatwick Airport, the M25 and M23 motorways, central London and Victoria station are a 30 minute train ride away. We have free on-site parking for you and your visitors.

Meeting your consultant

Your appointments will take place in one of our 12 private consultation rooms. When you meet your consultant, they’ll discuss your symptoms and any previous diagnosis you may have had. If you haven’t already been diagnosed, they may recommend additional tests and scans to help them decide the best treatment for you.

Your consultant will explain:

• How the procedure works
• What anaesthetic you’ll need
• The potential benefits and risks of gallbladder removal
• Your pre-operative assessment

Once you arrive at the hospital, you’ll meet the staff who’ll be looking after you.

The procedure

You’ll be given a general anaesthetic so you’ll be asleep during the operation. Keyhole gallbladder removal usually takes from one to two hours. Open surgery may take slightly longer.

When your consultant has finished, you’ll be taken to a cubicle or a private room where you can recover and relax for about six hours. Your consultant or nursing team will advise you when you can go home.

Staying overnight

If you need to stay overnight, you’ll have your own en-suite room. All of our rooms have:

• TV
• Armchair and footstool
• Bedside table
• Wardrobe
• Air-conditioning
• En-suite bathroom with walk in shower
• Lock safe

If you have open surgery, you’ll stay in hospital for three to five nights.

You’ll likely feel some pain after the anaesthetic has worn off. Our nursing team will be able to give you medication to help you manage any pain. They’ll also be able to advise you about over-the-counter painkillers you can take after you leave hospital.

Although everyone’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline: