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About Gall Stones
Gallstones range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Some people develop just one gallstone, while others develop many gallstones at the same time.
People who experience symptoms from their gallstones usually require gallbladder removal surgery. Gallstones that don't cause any signs and symptoms typically don't need treatment.
What are Gall stones?
Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in your gallbladder. Your gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of your abdomen, just beneath your liver. The gallbladder holds a digestive fluid called bile that's released into your small intestine..
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ located on the right side of the abdomen, just beneath the liver. The gallbladder stores and releases bile, a fluid made in the liver that helps in digestion. Gallstones can range from the size of a grain to that of a golf-ball. They block the bile duct causing an inflammation or infection of the gallbladder, which is medically known as Cholecystitis, and can lead to life-threatening complications if left untreated.
How does Gall Stones form?
The bile juice carries wastes like cholesterol and bilirubin which are made from the breakdown of hemoglobin present in the red blood cells which result in the formation of gallstones. When excess cholesterol present in the bile crystallizes, it prevents the gallbladder from emptying properly, causing sudden piercing pain in the abdomen. These gallstones then block the bile ducts in the biliary tract causing a gallbladder attack that can be extremely painful.
Causes
It's not clear what causes gallstones to form. Doctors think gallstones may result when:
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Your bile contains too much cholesterol. Normally, your bile contains enough chemicals to dissolve the cholesterol excreted by your liver. But if your liver excretes more cholesterol than your bile can dissolve, the excess cholesterol may form into crystals and eventually into stones.
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Your bile contains too much bilirubin. Bilirubin is a chemical that's produced when your body breaks down red blood cells. Certain conditions cause your liver to make too much bilirubin, including liver cirrhosis, biliary tract infections and certain blood disorders. The excess bilirubin contributes to gallstone formation.
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Your gallbladder doesn't empty correctly. If your gallbladder doesn't empty completely or often enough, bile may become very concentrated, contributing to the formation of gallstones.
Symptoms
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Gallstones may cause no signs or symptoms. If a gallstone lodges in a duct and causes a blockage, the resulting signs and symptoms may include:
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Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen
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Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the center of your abdomen, just below your breastbone
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Back pain between your shoulder blades
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Pain in your right shoulder
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Nausea or vomiting
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Gallstone pain may last several minutes to a few hours.
DIAGNOSIS
Even if you might not suffer from any sort of pain from gallstones initially, they might internally lead you to several complications which can include the following symptoms:
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Nausea and Vomiting
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Piercing and rapidly intensifying pain in the right side of your abdomen
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Pain in your right shoulder
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High fever with chills
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Pain in the mid or lower back
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Jaundice, leading to skin and eye whites turning yellow
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Heartburn and indigestion
If you are going through any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you might consider suffering from the complications of a possible gallstone attack and should immediately seek medical assistance.
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Depending upon your condition, the doctor will carry out certain medical examinations like blood tests and ultrasound to look for a possible blockage in your bile duct.
Based on the readings of the above tests, the doctor might also carry out a CT scan, MRI scan, HIDA scan, and run tests like ERCP.
How to prevent piles?
You can reduce your risk of gallstones if you:
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Don't skip meals. Try to stick to your usual mealtimes each day. Skipping meals or fasting can increase the risk of gallstones.
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Lose weight slowly. If you need to lose weight, go slow. Rapid weight loss can increase the risk of gallstones. Aim to lose 1 or 2 pounds (about 0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week.
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Eat more high-fiber foods. Include more fiber-rich foods in your diet, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
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Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity and being overweight increase the risk of gallstones. Work to achieve a healthy weight by reducing the number of calories you eat and increasing the amount of physical activity you get. Once you achieve a healthy weight, work to maintain that weight by continuing your healthy diet and continuing to exercise.
GALL STONES SPECIALISTS DOCTORS
Dr. ABCD
MBBS,
10 yrs of experience
Dr. ABCD
MBBS,
10 yrs of experience
Dr. ABCD
MBBS,
10 yrs of experience
Complications of gallstones may include:
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Inflammation of the gallbladder. A gallstone that becomes lodged in the neck of the gallbladder can cause inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis). Cholecystitis can cause severe pain and fever.
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Blockage of the common bile duct. Gallstones can block the tubes (ducts) through which bile flows from your gallbladder or liver to your small intestine. Severe pain, jaundice and bile duct infection can result.
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Blockage of the pancreatic duct. The pancreatic duct is a tube that runs from the pancreas and connects to the common bile duct just before entering the duodenum. Pancreatic juices, which aid in digestion, flow through the pancreatic duct.
A gallstone can cause a blockage in the pancreatic duct, which can lead to inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Pancreatitis causes intense, constant abdominal pain and usually requires hospitalization.
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Gallbladder cancer. People with a history of gallstones have an increased risk of gallbladder cancer. But gallbladder cancer is very rare, so even though the risk of cancer is elevated, the likelihood of gallbladder cancer is still very small.
Surgical Treatment
Open Gallbladder Removal Surgery: This is more of a traditional surgical procedure, where a single opening or large cut is made either under the border of the right rib cage or in the middle of the upper part of the abdomen. This procedure involves the cutting down of blood vessels and the bile duct that leads to your gallbladder after which the surgeon gently removes the gallbladder, allowing the bile to flow directly into the small intestine through the common bile duct. This procedure is not very commonly performed nowadays as it involves more blood loss and requires quite an amount of time to recover. However, in certain cases of severe inflammation of the bile duct or gallbladder the patient is left with no choice. It can take upto 6-8 years to heal completely and return back to performing normal activities.
Laparoscopic Gallbladder Removal Surgery: Also known as a keyhole surgery, this procedure follows a minimally invasive surgical approach where small incisions are made instead of a large opening. Depending upon your condition, the surgeon will inflate your abdomen with harmless carbon dioxide which will allow him/her to have a clear view. Through one of the incisions, the doctor will insert a lighted scope attached to a camera which would enable them to monitor the area of surgery. Most people prefer this operational process because recovery time post the surgery is faster, it involves minimal blood loss and the procedure of surgery as well is painless. A person can return to performing day-to-day activities within a week. However the process of healing might take about 2-3 weeks, which is much faster compared to that of an open surgery.