Gallbladder / gallstone removal (cholecystectomy) at Spire Thames Valley Hospital

At Spire Thames Valley Hospital, we take pride in providing a high standard of private hospital care to our patients in the Thames Valley, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Windsor areas.

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

The standard procedure to remove the gallbladder is using keyhole surgery – also called a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. During keyhole surgery, only small incisions (cuts) are needed and smaller instruments are used. Keyhole surgery is usually the first choice because you typically recover faster and are left with smaller scars than with open surgery.

Open surgery

Open surgery requires one larger incision to access and remove your gallbladder. This may be needed for a number of reasons, including if you have scars from a previous operation. 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.

Getting here

We're only a 10 minute drive from both the M4 and M40 motorways and we’re less than half an hour from central London by train. We have free on-site parking for you and your visitors.

Your consultation

Your initial appointment will take place in one of our 10 private consultation rooms. Your consultant will discuss with you:

• Your symptoms and medical history
• The anaesthetic you’ll have
• The potential benefits and risks of the procedure
• Whether you need any additional tests or scans before they can recommend surgery
• What your pre-operative assessment will involve

You’ll also be given plenty of information about the procedure and a typical recovery timeline.

When you arrive at the hospital for your operation, you’ll meet the multidisciplinary team that will be looking after you.

Anaesthetic

You’ll be given anaesthetic for the operation. This is usually a general anaesthetic where you’ll be completely asleep – this is used most often for keyhole surgery. If necessary, you may have a spinal, epidural or local anaesthetic, where you’ll be awake but won’t be able to feel any pain in the area being operated on.

The procedure

Gallbladder removal typically takes between one and two hours for keyhole surgery. It’s often a little longer for open surgery.

Your hospital stay

If you’re having keyhole surgery, you won’t usually need to stay overnight. After your operation, you’ll be taken to a private room with an en-suite to recover until your consultant is happy for you to go home. This is usually a minimum of six hours.

If you have open surgery, you’ll need to stay in hospital for around three to five nights. You’ll stay in one of our private, en-suite rooms, which will have:

• A TV
• A window
• An armchair
• An en-suite bathroom with towels
• A lockable bedside table

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: