 [ Symptoms ] how are gallstones treated [ Disease ] gallstones are usually treated with surgery to take out the gallbladder the traditional operation is called an open cholecystectomy a more recently developed procedure called laparoscopic cholecystectomy is less invasive has fewer complications and is used in most cases laparscopic cholecystectomy during this procedure instruments and a light and a camera are passed through several small incisions in the abdomen the surgeon views the inside of the body by looking at a video monitor this procedure is used in approximately 80 of gallbladder removals after the surgery the patient spends the night in the hospital open cholecystectomy this is a more invasive procedure in which the surgeon makes incisions in the abdomen to remove the gallbladder the patient stays in the hospital for a few days after the surgery if gallstones are in the bile ducts endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ercp may be used to find and remove them before or during gallbladder surgery