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Gallbladder Disease What does the gallbladder do? Where is the Gallbladder located? Symptoms of Gallbladder Disease Who develops Gallbladder Disease and How is it Diagnosed? Gallbladder Surgery Risks & Complications Recovering from Surgery When to call the doctor?
What Does the Gallbladder Do? The gallbladder stores bile, the digestive fluid that breaks down the fat in the food that you eat. The bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder for future use. When fat is eaten, the gallbladder contracts, squeezing the bile through the bile duct and into the small intestines for digestion [back to the top]
Where is the Gallbladder Located? The gallbladder is a small pear shaped pouch that is tucked under the liver in the right upper part of the abdomen.  [back to the top]
Signs and Symptoms of Gallbladder Disease - Gallbladder problems can cause severe pain.
- You may feel severe stomach pain, shoulder pain, back pain, pain under the breastbone, heartburn or an upset stomach.
- Symptoms often start after having eaten a meal.
- You may have one big attack or several small attacks.
- the pain is usually caused by gallstones which are caused by the bile becoming crystallized.
- The gallstones may not cause any problems.
- If the gallstones move into the bile ducts and block the duct, the bile backs up and may cause pain, nausea and vomiting and liver disease.
- Gallbladder disease may also lead to Pancreatitis.
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Who Develops Gallbladder Problems? People more likely to develop gallstones are : women in their 40's women who have been pregnant men and women who are overweight parents, siblings and children of people with gallbladder problems
How is Gallbladder Disease Diagnosed? There are several diagnostic tests that may be ordered to determine if the pain is caused from the gallbladder. Ultrasound is painless and uses ultrasound waves to look at the gallbladder to determine if stones are present. Imaging tests such as CT (computerized tomography) HIDA (hepatobiliary) scan, or an ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) may also be ordered to look at the gallbladder.
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Gallbladder Surgery Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy This procedure allows for a short hospital stay. You usually go home the same day as surgery. Surgery is performed through several small incisions. The surgery usually takes less than 1 hour. During surgery, a cholangiogram ( a special type of x-ray) may be taken of the bile duct to make sure that there are no gallstones in the duct.
Open Cholecystectomy Occasionally, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy is converted to an open procedure if it is determined that the gallbladder cannot be removed through the smaller incisions. At that time, a larger incision is made in the abdomen and the gallbladder is removed in the conventional way.
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Risks and Complications of Gallbladder Surgery Bleeding Infection Injury to surrounding organs Injury to the common bile duct (the tube between the liver and the bowel) Blood clots Indigestion Neuroma (painful spot) or numbness near the incision Continued formation of stones in the common bile duct Pancreatitis (inflammation of the gland that produces insulin) Retained stones in the common bile duct (the tube between the liver and the bowel) Narrowing or obstruction of the common bile duct (the tube between the liver and the bowel) Injury to the bowel and/or intestinal obstruction
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Recovering from Gallbladder Surgery Recovery time after a laparoscopic gallbladder is usually quick. Your incision will have tiny adhesive strips applied over them. You may bather over these strips. When the strips become loose and begin to curl, you may remove them. If you see a string hanging or a knot at the end of an incision, you may cut it with a pair of scissor. Don't do any heavy lifting or vigorous exercise for 3-5 days. You may shower the day after surgery. You may drive when you feel that you are able. You may return to work when you are comfortable, depending on the type of work that you do. Be aware that pain medicine may cause constipation. You may have gas pains or discomfort while digestion returns to normal. Diarrhea occasionally occurs when resuming a fatty diet. It usually resolves within a couple of weeks. If it persists longer, notify your doctor.
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When to call the doctor? significant pain throughout the abdomen (it's okay to be sore in the right side of the abdomen, around the belly button and in the shoulder) unable to keep food and/or fluid down if you have shortness of breath, or arm and shoulder pain fever > 101 degree if you are getting worse instead of better if any of your incision sites are red and hot
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