Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy is indicated in small animal patients for management of gallbladder mucocele, symptomatic cholelithiasis, necrotizing cholelithiasis, and occasionally gallbladder trauma or neoplasia. The laparoscopic technique for cholecystectomy described in this chapter has principally been used to treat gallbladder mucocele uncomplicated by rupture or obstruction. The procedure can be performed using either a four-port or single-port approach, although the latter has not been described in clinical cases to date. Despite being a technically challenging procedure that requires some special surgical instrumentation, as has been reported in humans, laparoscopic cholecystectomy may provide advantages over its open counterpart for our small animal patients.