Answer box: Gallbladder removal surgery, called cholecystectomy, is done through three or four small cuts using a camera. Most patients walk the same day and go home within 24 hours. Dr Raman Garg, a surgical gastroenterologist with 10,000+ laparoscopic surgeries, performs it at Bombay Gastro & Cancer Institute, Bathinda, Punjab, India, with cashless insurance.
What is gallbladder removal surgery?
Your gallbladder is a small pouch tucked under the liver. Its only job is to store bile and squeeze it out after a fatty meal. You can live a full, normal life without it. Once the gallbladder is out, bile flows straight from the liver into the gut, and digestion carries on.
The operation is called laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic means keyhole: the surgeon works through tiny cuts and watches the inside on a screen. People in Punjab also call it pathri ka operation, pitte ki pathri ka operation or pite di pathri da operation, because it is done mostly for gallstones. If you want to understand the stones first, read our page on gall stone treatment in Bathinda.
Symptoms that lead to surgery, and red flags
Most patients come to us after one of these:
- Pain in the upper right belly after meals, again and again
- A sudden gallbladder attack lasting several hours
- Vomiting and gas that no antacid has settled
- A stone found on ultrasound along with pain
- Earlier yellow eyes or pancreas inflammation caused by a stone
A 52 year old farmer from Talwandi Sabo came with pain after every heavy dinner for eight months. His ultrasound showed a thick-walled gallbladder full of stones. That pattern, repeated pain plus stones, is the classic reason to operate.
Red flags: seek hospital care the same day if you have:
- Severe belly pain for more than 5 hours
- Fever with chills and pain
- Yellow eyes, dark urine or pale stool (jaundice, peeliya)
- Repeated vomiting with severe back pain
Call +91 82641-60001, 24/7 emergency care support.
Causes and risk factors for needing surgery
Gallstones are behind nearly all gallbladder operations. They form more often in women, in people above 40, in those with weight gain or very fast weight loss, diabetes, high cholesterol, fatty liver or a family history. Less often the reason is a gallbladder polyp or a gallbladder that no longer works well. A gallbladder that has been infected again and again becomes thick and scarred, which makes surgery harder if you wait too long.
How Dr Raman Garg decides if you need surgery
Surgery is never the first answer for every stone. At your OPD visit, Dr Raman Garg listens to your story, examines your belly and reads your reports. Then the test plan is set.
| Test | Starting (Rs) | Average (Rs) | Maximum (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPD consultation (also second opinion) | 500 | 700 | 1,000 |
| Ultrasound abdomen | 600 | 1,000 | 1,800 |
| Liver function test (LFT) | 400 | 600 | 1,200 |
| Upper GI endoscopy | 2,000 | 3,200 | 5,000 |
| MRCP (bile duct scan) | 4,000 | 7,000 | 12,000 |
| Pre-operative blood tests, ECG and chest X-ray | 1,500 | 2,500 | 4,000 |
Note: These are typical Punjab costs for 2026. The final cost may vary after Dr Raman Garg examines you, depending on the number of tests needed and your health.
Blood tests are done in our in-house laboratory. MRCP and CT are arranged with trusted imaging partners in Bathinda, and Dr Raman Garg reviews the report the same day. If you already have an ultrasound, send it on WhatsApp to +91 82641-60001 before you travel.
Treatment options: surgery or not?
- Watch and wait: for stones found by chance with no pain. Healthy diet and a yearly check.
- Medicines and diet: these calm pain and gas but cannot remove stones. Tablets dissolve only small cholesterol stones over 6 to 24 months, and stones often return. See can gallstones dissolve without surgery.
- Keyhole gallbladder removal: the usual answer for stones with pain, infection or earlier pancreas trouble.
- Open surgery: rarely, when the keyhole route is unsafe, for example with severe scarring.
If a stone has also moved into the bile pipe, it must be dealt with in the same plan, and Dr Raman Garg will explain the order of steps after your MRCP.
The procedure step by step
- Anaesthesia. You are asleep for the whole operation.
- Access. A small cut near the navel lets gas into the belly so the surgeon has room to see. Two or three more cuts of 5 to 10 mm are made on the right side.
- Clear view. The camera shows the gallbladder, its artery and its duct on a screen.
- Safe identification. The surgeon clears the tissue until both structures are clearly seen, so the bile pipe stays protected.
- Clipping. The artery and duct are clipped and cut.
- Removal. The gallbladder is lifted off the liver, placed in a bag and pulled out through the navel cut.
- Closure. The cuts are closed with the stitchless laparoscopic technique using skin glue.
A planned case takes about 30 to 60 minutes. A difficult, infected gallbladder takes longer. The gallbladder is usually sent for a biopsy report to check the tissue.
Before and after: preparation, timeline and recovery
Preparation checklist
- Pre-operative blood tests, ECG and chest X-ray
- Share every medicine you take, especially blood thinners and sugar tablets
- Stop smoking at least a week before
- Fast for 6 to 8 hours: no food or water after midnight
- Carry your insurance card, ID and all reports
Recovery table
| When | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Same day | You sit up and walk with help. Shoulder tip pain from gas is common and fades in a day or two. |
| Next morning | Light food. Most patients go home within 24 hours. |
| Day 7 to 10 | Wound check and report review, by phone, video or in person |
| Week 2 | Desk work and light chores for most patients |
| Week 4 to 6 | Heavy lifting, tractor driving and farm work, as advised |
Timelines vary from patient to patient. For the first two weeks, eat small low-fat meals and slowly return to normal food. Some people have loose motions for a few weeks. Our blog on life after gallbladder removal answers daily-life questions.
Risks and how they are handled
You deserve a plain list. Possible problems are bleeding, wound infection, bile leak, injury to the bile pipe, a stone left behind in the bile duct, and problems from anaesthesia. Rarely the surgeon changes from keyhole to open surgery for safety. Risk is higher with a badly infected gallbladder, old age, uncontrolled sugar or heart disease. We lower it by checking your fitness first, operating on time rather than waiting for repeated attacks, and showing clear anatomy before any clip is applied. If a problem appears, the same surgeon who operated handles it. Call us if you have fever, yellow eyes, wound pus or severe pain after discharge.
Gallbladder removal surgery cost in Bathinda
| Surgery | Starting (Rs) | Average (Rs) | Maximum (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laparoscopic gallbladder removal, planned | 40,000 | 65,000 | 1,00,000 |
| Laparoscopic gallbladder removal, difficult or after an attack | 60,000 | 90,000 | 1,40,000 |
Note: These are typical Punjab costs for 2026. The final cost may vary after Dr Raman Garg examines you, depending on gallstone size and number, whether there was an infection or attack, a stone in the bile duct, and your health.
Published ranges from Mohali and Chandigarh hospitals put gallbladder keyhole surgery at about Rs 40,000 to 90,000, higher for emergency cases, and metro hospitals often charge more. Keyhole costs more than open surgery because of equipment, but you go home sooner and get back to work earlier. See the full gastro treatment cost in Bathinda list and our blog on gallbladder removal cost in Punjab.
Insurance and cashless
BGCI is empanelled with almost all major insurers and TPAs for cashless treatment: Aditya Birla Health Insurance, Niva Bupa, Digit Insurance, Care Health Insurance, Vidal Health TPA, ICICI Lombard, Raksha TPA, Future Generali, SBI General Insurance, Oriental Insurance, Liberty General Insurance, IFFCO Tokio, Cholamandalam MS, Medi Assist TPA, and almost all other major insurers and TPAs. For Ayushman Bharat: call us with your card details and our insurance desk will tell you the same day how your card can be used.
- WhatsApp your insurance card and reports to +91 82641-60001.
- The insurance desk checks your policy and arranges pre-authorisation.
- You receive the approval and a surgery date.
- After surgery the hospital settles with your insurer; you pay only the part the policy does not cover.
Read more on cashless insurance for gastro treatment.
Facilities at BGCI
- Modern laparoscopic operation theatre with high-definition camera systems
- Advanced endoscopy and colonoscopy suite
- Fully equipped in-house diagnostic laboratory
- Comfortable patient rooms
- 24/7 emergency care support
- Cashless insurance desk
- Stitchless laparoscopic technique with skin glue
- Same-day walking and discharge within 24 hours for most keyhole surgeries
- One surgeon from consultation to follow-up
- Online pre-arrival consultation for out-of-town and NRI patients through WhatsApp reports
- Follow-up by phone or video
CT, MRCP and HIDA scans are arranged with trusted imaging partners in Bathinda, with reports reviewed by Dr Raman Garg the same day. Learn more about our gastro hospital in Bathinda.
Why patients choose Dr Raman Garg
A surgical gastroenterologist is a stomach, gut, liver, gallbladder and pancreas specialist who also operates. So one doctor decides whether you need medicines, a scope test or surgery, and does it. Dr Raman Garg has 20+ years of experience, MS General Surgery from DMC Ludhiana, DNB Surgical Gastroenterology from Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai, a fellowship in advanced laparoscopic surgery and training in Seoul, South Korea. He is a member of IAGES and AMASI and the first surgical gastroenterologist in the Malwa belt of Punjab. Meet him at Dr Raman Garg.
Patients we see from your area
Many patients reach us in one morning. Goniana Mandi is 12 km (20 min), Maur Mandi 30 km (40 min), Talwandi Sabo 30 km (45 min), Giddarbaha 45 km (1 hr), Kotkapura 50 km (1 hr). Farm families from the cotton belt and traders from Dabwali also come for planned surgery. See all areas we serve.
How to book
- Call or WhatsApp +91 82641-60001 or +91 99885-03800.
- Send your ultrasound or reports for a first opinion.
- Come to OPD, Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM. Sunday is emergency only.
- Get your surgery date and insurance approval. Use book appointment.
Address: Bombay Gastro & Cancer Institute, Power House Road, Near Street No. 10, Bathinda, Punjab 151001, India. Email: bgcibathinda@gmail.com. 24/7 emergency care support: +91 82641-60001.
Related pages
Gallstone treatment | Laparoscopic surgery | Appendicitis surgery | Hernia surgery | Gastro treatment in Bathinda | Gastro doctor in Bathinda | Blogs: life after gallbladder removal, laparoscopic surgery benefits and recovery
This page is general information; your plan is set after Dr Raman Garg examines you.
Medically reviewed by Dr Raman Garg. Last updated: 8 November 2026.