What is gallbladder polyp: Gallbladder polyp is a bulging “meat lump” on the mucosa of gallbladder. Clinically, the incidence of gallbladder polyps is mainly in young and middle-aged people, with people aged 30-50 accounting for 57.8% of the total number of patients. Gallbladder polyps are insidious, and a significant number of people do not have any symptoms and are only detected during medical examinations. When symptoms appear, most of them are similar to chronic cholecystitis, mainly manifesting as mild discomfort in the right upper abdomen and biliary colic in the presence of stones. Gallbladder polyps can be pathologically divided into tumor polyps and non-tumor polyps. Neoplastic polyps are usually solitary, pathologically appearing as adenomas of the gallbladder, with some malignancy; non-neoplastic polyps are mostly inflammatory polyps or cholesterol polyps, which are multiple. Cholesterol polyps are cholesterol crystals deposited in the mucosa of gallbladder, accounting for about 50% of all polyps, usually with a tip, easily dislodged, and become the core of stone formation or a precipitating factor of cholecystitis. Because they are non-neoplastic polyps, cholesterol polyps do not become malignant. How to distinguish tumor polyp from non-tumor polyp: Abdominal ultrasound is the preferred method of examination for gallbladder polyp-like lesions. The current ultrasound equipment has high sensitivity and accuracy and can detect tiny polyp lesions of 2mm or more. The ultrasound imaging presentation of cholesterol polyps is more characteristic and the majority of them can be correctly diagnosed. If the information provided by ultrasonography is of little value, further tests such as CT or MR may be considered to identify them. Of course, the only way to truly distinguish between the two is pathologic examination, which requires surgical removal of the polyps from the gallbladder for sectioning, staining, and microscopic observation. Do I have to remove the gallbladder if a polyp is found? Generally speaking, tumor polyp of gallbladder, i.e. gallbladder adenoma, is a predisposing factor for gallbladder cancer, especially when accompanied by stones, the chance of cancer is significantly increased. The following conditions can be considered as risk factors for malignant lesions: diameter over 1 cm or wide base, age over 50 years, single lesion, rapid increase in size of polyps within a short period of time (usually within a few months), imaging suggests blood flow signal or enhancement of the lesion, combined with gallbladder stones, etc. Gallbladder polyps with significant symptoms should be treated surgically. If asymptomatic but with the above described conditions, surgery is still considered. Of course, if the patient does not have the above conditions, surgery may not be urgent, as long as the ultrasound is reviewed every 6 months. In the past, the choice of surgery has been to remove the gallbladder. Many patients have good gallbladder function, but they have to choose gallbladder removal to prevent malignancy. Minimally invasive cholecystectomy is a new surgical method developed in recent years, which preserves the gallbladder and removes the polyps in the gallbladder with less trauma and faster recovery, which is more in line with people’s psychology. What gastrointestinal symptoms can occur after gallbladder removal? Some patients may experience gastrointestinal symptoms after gallbladder removal, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, indigestion, etc. This is called post-cholecystectomy syndrome, which is mostly transient and usually disappears in 3 months to 6 months. In 2-8% of cases, the symptoms may persist and require active treatment. In general, dietary modifications, such as eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and eating low-fat and low-cholesterol foods, can get patients through this period of postoperative discomfort, and some patients have to take medications to relieve their symptoms under medical supervision. Some patients develop intra- and extra-hepatic bile duct stones and cholangitis several years after gallbladder removal, which require further treatment. After minimally invasive cholecystectomy, patients generally recover quickly and their diet and work life are not affected. Some patients have recurrence of gallbladder polyps or gallbladder stones several years later, which are closely related to patients’ poor diet and living habits, and can be treated with cholecystectomy or gallbladder preservation surgery again.