EP361 - Left Sided Gall Bladder: A Surgical Surprise

Abstract Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used for the removal of a diseased gallbladder. Since the early 1990s, this technique has largely replaced the open technique for cholecystectomies. We present a unique incident where a left-sided gallbladder was incidentally discovered during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, posing a technical challenge for the surgeon. Our patient was a 34-year-old female who visited our hospital with complaints of right upper abdominal pain and postprandial nausea lasting for three months. Ultrasound examination revealed two gallstones measuring 16mm and 13mm in the neck of the gallbladder. During the routine laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the surgeon encountered a left-sided gallbladder. To ensure a safe and effective dissection, an additional port was required during the surgical procedure. The prevalence of this rare congenital anomaly, known as a left-sided gallbladder, ranges from 0.1% to 0.7%. It is characterized by the gallbladder being located on the left side of the ligamentum teres and falciform ligament, with the cystic artery passing in front of the common bile duct from right to left. This anatomical variation is often associated with abnormalities in the biliary tree and the porto-venous system. Failing to recognize these variations can lead to serious complications, particularly in hepatobiliary surgery. Discovering a left-sided gallbladder during surgery is an infrequent finding that can increase the complexity and morbidity rate of the procedure.