A laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a type of surgery that is done to remove the gall bladder. Traditionally, this was done as an open procedure which involved a large incision in the patient’s abdomen. However, with the development of minimally invasive techniques, this surgery can and in fact is most frequently done laparoscopically. This means that the surgery is done through a series of small incisions in the patient’s abdomen using a small camera and specialized equipment to perform the operation. Even though this is a highly technical procedure, the basic surgical principle of not cutting anything which has not been identified still applies. The most common type of medical malpractice claims arise from injury to the blood vessels or bile ducts during the surgery. Injury to the bile ducts or blood vessels during the surgery can result in serious injury or death to the patient and can be the basis of a medical malpractice lawsuit.
