Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) in Riverside, CA costs $7,737 to $13,208. Here's every hospital's price.

CPT 47562 is a laparoscopic cholecystectomy: removal of the gallbladder through four small incisions, usually for gallstones causing pain or inflammation. It is one of the most common operations in the US, takes about an hour, and most patients go home the same day or after one night.

What the price covers

The hospital's price is the facility fee for the operating room, laparoscopic equipment, nursing, supplies and recovery. The surgeon and the anesthesia provider bill separately. If an X-ray of the bile duct is done during surgery (47563) or the operation is converted to open surgery, the code and price change. An overnight stay adds a room charge.

Planned versus emergency

A planned outpatient cholecystectomy is shoppable and the prices here apply. An emergency operation for acute cholecystitis is billed as an inpatient stay under a DRG, at a very different price. If your symptoms allow it, scheduling the operation is both safer and cheaper.

Why prices vary

Facility fees for this operation vary several times within one city. Academic centers and large systems list the highest; community hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers the lowest.

Questions to ask

• What is the self-pay price for 47562, and what do surgeon and anesthesia add?
• What happens to the price if I stay overnight or the operation is converted?
• Is there a bundled cash price for the whole episode?