Percutaneous cholecystostomy is employed for the treatment of various gallbladder conditions including biliary emergencies such as cholecystitis or cholangitis, malignant or benign biliary obstruction, gallbladder perforation, and percutaneous biliary stone removal. Percutaneous cholecystostomy is typically employed in the management of critically ill patients who are not surgical candidates.

Although it is seldom a first line treatment, cholecystostomy is often preferred in patients too ill to tolerate alternative procedures. Since its introduction in 1980, novel technical innovations have redefined the role of percutaneous cholecystostomy in the management of gallbladder pathology.