Definition

Noun: - A surgical procedure for the removal of gallstones through an incision made directly into the gallbladder.

Usage

• This term is used exclusively in a medical context to describe a specific surgical operation.
• It is a technical term, most commonly encountered in medical literature, surgical reports, and discussions among healthcare professionals.

Examples

• The surgeon performed a cholelithotomy to remove the large, symptomatic stones.
• Cholelithotomy was once a common procedure before the advent of laparoscopic techniques.
• The patient's condition required an open cholelithotomy rather than a less invasive approach.

Advanced Usage

• The term specifies the method (incision into the gallbladder) and the goal (stone removal). It is often contrasted with other procedures like (removal of the entire gallbladder) or (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography), which can remove stones from the bile ducts without a gallbladder incision.

Variants and Related Words

• Cholelithiasis (n): The medical condition of having gallstones.
• Cholecystotomy (n): A surgical incision into the gallbladder, which may be performed for reasons other than stone removal (e.g., drainage). Cholelithotomy is a specific type of cholecystotomy.
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (n): A modern, minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder, which has largely replaced open cholelithotomy for most cases.

Synonyms

• Gallstone removal surgery: A descriptive, non-technical synonym.
• Gallbladder stone extraction: Another descriptive term for the procedure.

Antonyms

• Cholecystectomy: Surgical removal of the gallbladder (the entire organ, not just the stones).
• Medical management: Non-surgical treatment of gallstones (e.g., with medication or sound waves).

Notes

• Cholelithotomy is a compound word derived from Greek roots: (bile), (stone), and (cutting). This etymology clearly describes the procedure: "cutting to remove bile stones."
• This procedure is now relatively rare in modern surgical practice, having been superseded by cholecystectomy as the standard treatment for symptomatic gallstone disease.

Noun

1. removal of gallstone through an incision in the gallbladder