Incidental gallbladder cancer: what is the prevalence and how do we perform cholecystectomy for presumably benign biliary disease?

OBJECTIVE: to determine the prevalence of incidental gallbladder cancer (IGBC) in cholecystectomies performed in a tertiary public hospital and to describe technical and epidemiological aspects of performing cholecystectomies for presumably benign disease. METHOD: descriptive, retrospective observational study, based on analysis of medical records of patients undergoing cholecystectomy with preoperative hypothesis of benign disease between January 2018 and January 2022. RESULTS: prevalence of gallbladder adenocarcinoma in our sample was 0.16%, similar to data in the literature. Technical aspects during cholecystectomy were also described with a frequency similar to that found in the literature. CONCLUSION: despite a rare disease, IGBC is relevant in the routine of the General Surgeon. Its diagnosis, staging and treatment directly affect the prognosis. Technical aspects during cholecystectomy are not always remembered by surgeons and can interfere with the prognosis and subsequent treatment of the patient.