Sometimes, some of the watery fluid (bile) stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material known as gallstones. Gallstones may vary from the size of a grain of sand to a golf ball and there may be one or hundreds of stones.

Gallstones can cause abdominal pain, fever and vomiting if they block the movement of bile into or out of the gallbladder.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. A laparoscope is inserted into the abdominal cavity at the level of the tummy button. Surgical instruments are inserted through other incisions and the gallbladder removed.