Objective To analyze the outcomes of surgical treatment of obstructive jaundice induced by biliary invasion in patients with gallbladder carcinoma. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 48 patients with gallbladder cancer and biliary invasion-induced obstructive jaundice, who were treated in our hospital during January 2004 to December 2008. Results Thirty-six patients who received surgical treatment had a median survival time of (17.39±3.98) months, and 12 patients received non-surgical treatment had a median survival time (3.75±0.51) months, with significant difference found between the two groups (P<0.01). Fifteen patients underwent radical resection, 7 underwent R1 resection, and 14 underwent R2 resection, with their median survival time being (30.93±7.42) months, (13.57±6.70) months, and (5.00±0.67) months, respectively; there were significant difference between the three groups (P<0.01).Conclusion The prognosis of gallbladder cancer with obstructive jaundice is poor; surgical treatment can partly improve the prognosis of patients with obstructive jaundice-induced by gallbladder invasion. Radical curative resection, sometime with cholecystectomy, partial hepatectomy, or bile duct resection, should be performed for these patients.