Clinical Challenges in Emergency General Surgery: Open Cholecystectomy - “A Lost Art"

  • When the gallbladder turns hostile, sometimes you must do more than just pause—you have to call in a senior partner for help. Join the Behind the Knife EGS team at Mizzou as we dive into the art and grit of open cholecystectomy. From fundus-first dissection to navigating the “barrier to happiness,” this episode is packed with surgical pearls, tough love, and the kind of wisdom only scars can teach.

Target Audience

  • Nurses
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Physicians
  • Physician Assistants

Learning Objectives

  • Identifying clinical and intraoperative factors that necessitate conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy
  • Utilizing grading systems (e.g., Parkland, Tokyo, AAST) to assess cholecystitis severity and predict surgical difficulty
  • Describing the six steps of the SAGES Safe Cholecystectomy Program to minimize bile duct injury
  • Differentiating between fenestrating and reconstituting subtotal cholecystectomy techniques and their respective risks.
  • Outlining the essential components of open cholecystectomy: positioning, incision, exposure, and dissection
  • Recognizing “zones of danger” and use the B-SAFE mnemonic to reorient and ensure safe progression
  • Demonstrating when to proceed with subtotal techniques, convert to open, or call for assistance
  • Identify proper dissection planes, manage gallbladder bed inflammation, and secure cystic structures with confidence 
  • Understand the risks of bile leaks, bilomas, and subcostal hernias—and how to mitigate them through technique and closure.
  • Emphasize humility, collaboration, and mentorship in difficult operations—knowing when to ask for help is a skill.
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
  • 0.50 ANCC
  • 0.50 Attendance
  • 0.05 IACET CEU
Registration Opens: 
09/15/2025
Registration Expires: 
09/14/2027
Part of: 
Behind the Knife Podcast (July-Dec 2025)
Rating: 
0
Virtual, NC
United States
  • Dr. Rushabh Dev 
  • Dr. Jeffery Coughenour 
  • Dr. Christopher Nelson
  • Dr. Micah Ancheta
  • Dr. Desra Fletcher
  • AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)
  • ANCC
  • Attendance
  • JA Credit - AH

Available Credit

  • 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
  • 0.50 ANCC
  • 0.50 Attendance
  • 0.05 IACET CEU
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