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Cholecystectomy for gallstone is one of the most frequently performed abdominal operations because of the large diffusion of the gallstone disease in the western population and for the adoption in the last 25 years of the laparoscopic cholecystectomy technique instead of the open surgery [1]. In fact, the minimal invasiveness of the laparoscopic procedure has extended the indication for gallbladder removal even if the international guidelines discourage the operation in cases of asymptomatic gallstones accidentally discovered during an abdominal ultrasound.

Intestinal stoma (from the Greek language στομα = mouth) formation (ostomy surgery) is a surgical procedure intended to divert the intestinal content outside the body through the abdomen. Due to its profound impact on the patients’ emotional status and on their quality of life, a detailed preoperative counselling is mandatory, while the adhesion to strict technical rules is fundamental to prevent the frequent stoma complications.

The most frequent diseases involving the small bowel and requiring surgery are Crohn’s disease and postoperative or post inflammatory adhesion. Less frequently small bowel resection is performed because of ischemia for mesenteric artery thrombosis or embolism and for neoplastic diseases arising in the small bowel (rare) or compressing or infiltrating the small bowel from outside (desmoid tumors, sarcomas, lymphomas, etc.). Furthermore, the small bowel is often interested by penetrating wounds (stab wounds or gunshot wounds) or can be strangulated in inguinal hernia, ventral hernia, or volvulus. Another rare small bowel disease requiring surgery is intussusception often associated to pedunculated polyps.

Total or partial resection of the stomach is a major surgery performed mainly for complications of peptic ulcers (bleeding, stricture, perforation) or for gastric cancer. Other less frequent indications are benign tumors and severe gastroparesis. Gastric surgery for obesity will be treated in a separate chapter.