Typical recommendations for pre-operative care may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
- Abdominal ultrasound and liver function tests.
- HIDA\PIPIDA scan to evaluate for biliary dyskinesia.
- Nothing by mouth (NPO) for 8 hours before surgery.
- Cardiopulmonary evaluation as needed.
- Anesthesiology consultation as needed.
- Prophylactic antibiotics for patients with acute cholecystitis.
- Preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for patients with clinical, laboratory, or radiographic evidence of choledocholithiasis. (Some surgeons with advanced laparoscopy experience may prefer laparoscopic common duct exploration.)