Objective To explore the value of preoperative ultrasound indicators in predicting the difficulty of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), in order to predict the risk of LC surgery and reduce the blindness of surgery. Methods The preoperative ultrasonographic parameters of 257 cases included gallbladder size, gallbladder wall thickness, gallbladder mucosal surface, bile sound transmission in gallbladder, maximum diameter of gallstone, and gallstone incarceration in gallbladder neck. Postoperative data included operation time, intraoperative blood loss, whether drainage tube was placed, whether transfer to abdominal surgery, and postoperative complications. The average operation time of the 257 cases was calculated and called the standard operation time, and the operation that exceeded the standard operation time, intraoperative bleeding ≥100 mL, postoperative drainage tube placing, and conversion of abdominal operation were defined as difficult operation. According to this standard, 257 patients were divided into the easy group and the difficult group. The χ² test was used for univariate analysis to identify the risk factors of difficult LC operation. Logistic multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the independent risk factors for predicting LC difficulty. Results According to unifactor analysis, preoperative ultrasound indicators: gallbladder size >50 cm², gallbladder wall thickness >4 mm, maximum diameter of gallstone >2 cm, gallbladder neck stone incarceration, and poor bile ultrasound transmission in gallbladder were risk factors for LC difficulty. Logistic multiple regression analysis confirmed that gallbladder size, gallbladder wall thickness, poor bile ultrasound transmission in gallbladder and stone incarceration in gallbladder neck were independent risk factors for difficult LC. Conclusions Ultrasound examination of gallbladder before operation could objectively evaluate the difficulty of LC, and had certain predictive value for guiding the surgeon to select LC cases.