Is gallbladder removal major surgery?

It is a real operation under general anaesthesia, so it deserves to be taken seriously, but the laparoscopic version through small openings is one of the most commonly performed abdominal operations. Whether it is done as a day case or with a short stay, and how involved your operation is, depends on your circumstances and how inflamed the gallbladder is.

Will I need a special diet for life?

No single lifelong diet is prescribed just because the gallbladder has gone. Many people eat normally, sometimes after a gentler reintroduction of fatty foods in the early weeks. If particular foods reliably upset your digestion afterwards, mention it at follow-up so your team can check nothing else is going on.

What is the difference between laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy?

The goal is identical — the gallbladder comes out. Laparoscopic surgery does that through a few small openings with a camera; open surgery uses one larger cut below the ribs, which may be chosen from the start for a complicated case or adopted during an operation if the surgeon needs a clearer, safer view.