Working hand in hand with the liver, the gall bladder is a minor organ in the body that helps to store and concentrate bile which is released into the digestive tract when fat is available for digestion. All this is made possible through a well organized system of tubes or channels arising from the liver, through the gallbladder to the alimentary canal. Unfortunately, this system may be compromised to a point where surgery has to be done to bring back normal function. Consequent sections of this article give more details about gallbladder surgery Queens NY residents may find useful.
An individual is predisposed to gallstones if they are of the female gender, older than forty, overweight, or have had a similar experience in their lifetime. Gallstones can be pigmented or cholesterol in form with the majority being made up of cholesterol. They tend to get impacted in the gallbladder (being small sized organ) when the aforementioned risk factors are present.
Gallstones present as abdominal pain in the region where the bladder is located, that is the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The pain is usually intermittent and may be associated with food intake. It usually is an intense pain that may last several hours. This happens when a stone is released from the gallbladder and gets lodged into one of the biliary ducts (transport channels). The stone travels back and forth due to peristaltic waves within the ducts hence the intermittency of the pain. The itensity of discomfort is directly proportional to the size and number of stones.
The patient may also have a distended abdomen. Additional signs and symptoms include yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes, fever, nausea, vomiting and consequent dehydration. The initial management of these patients is to provide supportive therapy as surgery is planned. This entails restoring hydration status though administration of intravenous fluids, analgesic support and drugs to reduce the inflammation.
It is important for the doctor to have a high index of suspicion because the consequences of untreated gallstones are unpalatable. This is because the associated inflammatory process and the building up of pressure within the limited space can result in the organ bursting and leakage of its contents. This further stimulates a new inflammatory process in the surrounding structures. The situation should therefore be treated with urgency to avoid further damage.
The definitive treatment for gallstones is removal of stones together with the gallbladder to prevent recurrence. Removal of the gallbladder through an operation is referred to as cholecystectomy. Before performing a cholecystectomy, the doctor will view your gall bladder and the surrounding tissues through an imaging technique such as an ultrasound in order to study the diseased area. Just like any other form of operation, specific blood tests have to be carried to out to ensure the patient can tolerate the procedure.
Surgery can be done either laparoscopically or via open technique. Laparoscopic surgery results in fewer incisions and therefore has a better cosmetic outcome in the long run. On the other hand, the open technique takes much longer, is associated with more complications during the operation and leaves the patient with large hideous scars in the long run.
In summary, an operation is usually the primary treatment of gallstones. In this case, the risk of recurrence is almost zero if the surgery is done in a proper manner. The only time in which medical treatment can be the mainstay is if the condition does not interfere with the day to day life of the individual.
An individual is predisposed to gallstones if they are of the female gender, older than forty, overweight, or have had a similar experience in their lifetime. Gallstones can be pigmented or cholesterol in form with the majority being made up of cholesterol. They tend to get impacted in the gallbladder (being small sized organ) when the aforementioned risk factors are present.
Gallstones present as abdominal pain in the region where the bladder is located, that is the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The pain is usually intermittent and may be associated with food intake. It usually is an intense pain that may last several hours. This happens when a stone is released from the gallbladder and gets lodged into one of the biliary ducts (transport channels). The stone travels back and forth due to peristaltic waves within the ducts hence the intermittency of the pain. The itensity of discomfort is directly proportional to the size and number of stones.
The patient may also have a distended abdomen. Additional signs and symptoms include yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes, fever, nausea, vomiting and consequent dehydration. The initial management of these patients is to provide supportive therapy as surgery is planned. This entails restoring hydration status though administration of intravenous fluids, analgesic support and drugs to reduce the inflammation.
It is important for the doctor to have a high index of suspicion because the consequences of untreated gallstones are unpalatable. This is because the associated inflammatory process and the building up of pressure within the limited space can result in the organ bursting and leakage of its contents. This further stimulates a new inflammatory process in the surrounding structures. The situation should therefore be treated with urgency to avoid further damage.
The definitive treatment for gallstones is removal of stones together with the gallbladder to prevent recurrence. Removal of the gallbladder through an operation is referred to as cholecystectomy. Before performing a cholecystectomy, the doctor will view your gall bladder and the surrounding tissues through an imaging technique such as an ultrasound in order to study the diseased area. Just like any other form of operation, specific blood tests have to be carried to out to ensure the patient can tolerate the procedure.
Surgery can be done either laparoscopically or via open technique. Laparoscopic surgery results in fewer incisions and therefore has a better cosmetic outcome in the long run. On the other hand, the open technique takes much longer, is associated with more complications during the operation and leaves the patient with large hideous scars in the long run.
In summary, an operation is usually the primary treatment of gallstones. In this case, the risk of recurrence is almost zero if the surgery is done in a proper manner. The only time in which medical treatment can be the mainstay is if the condition does not interfere with the day to day life of the individual.
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