MODEL RELEASED. Gall bladder removal. Surgeons during an operation to remove the gall bladder (cholecystectomy). The surgeons are using scissor forceps to handle body tissues. They are wearing surgical caps, gowns and masks to help maintain a sterile environment. The gall bladder is a small organ which concentrates bile for use in digesting fats. It is usually removed when it has developed gallstones which are causing severe pain. Gallstones are hard lumps of cholesterol which have come out of solution from bile. They block the gall bladder and it may become infected. Most patients can live a normal life after a chol- ecystectomy, which has little effect on digestion.