In some cases, cholecystitis may be mild enough that treatment with antibiotics and pain relievers addresses the symptoms. However, patients with more severe acute or chronic cholecystitis may require hospitalization, during which time they will likely receive antibiotics, pain medications, fluids and electrolytes in an intravenous (I.V.) solution. A tube may be passed through the nose and into the stomach, which keeps the stomach empty and reduces inflammation in the abdominal cavity. 

Once the patient’s gallbladder attack has been relieved, attention will turn to longer-term treatment. Surgery to remove the gallbladder – a procedure known as a cholecystectomy – is often performed to treat both acute and chronic cholecystitis. In some cases, this may be delayed for days or even weeks until a patient's gallbladder attack subsides.

However, immediate surgery or radiologic drainage is necessary in cases of acalculous cholecystitis (a more serious form of the condition that develops without gallstones) or in cases where abscess, gangrene (tissue death) or perforation is present. In some instances, a tube will be inserted into the gallbladder to drain it and help the patient recover enough to be ready for surgery.

A cholecystectomy is often performed via laparoscopy. In this technique, small incisions are made in the abdomen and a tube with a connected camera called a laparoscope is inserted into the body. Medical instruments are passed through the laparoscope to remove the gallbladder. Recovery time is shorter using laparoscopy in comparison to using traditional open surgery. However, the latter technique may be necessary if patients have significant inflammation of the gallbladder, scarring, significant bleeding or another complication.

In some cases, patients who have had their gallbladder removed continue to experience pain similar to the pain they experienced before surgery. The cause of these episodes is not completely understood. However, it may involve a problem with the sphincter of Oddi, an opening at the base of the bile duct. This opening controls the release of bile into the small intestine. Resistance to the flow of bile or pancreatic solutions may cause pressure to build in the ducts, which then triggers the pain. An procedure called an an endoscopic retrograde  cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) can widen the sphincter of Oddi and relieve pain.

gallstones that remain in the body following gallbladder surgery may also cause pain. In some cases, another disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome or peptic ulcer disease is the source of the pain.