Gallbladder Stone Removal Surgery now has the option of day care surgery. Day care surgery is when the patients report to the hospital early in the morning and go through the surgery with no complications during the post-operative process and get discharged the same day. Once the degree of the severity of gallbladder stones problems is known, your doctor may or may not suggest the day care surgery for the removal of gallbladder stone.
How are gallbladder stones formed?
The gallbladder fluid is the greenish brown colour liquid, also known as bile. This bile is made by the liver and includes cholesterol, fats, bile salts, proteins, and bilirubin (waste of red blood cells). This bile is very important in helping the small intestine to breakdown and emulsify fats that will be absorbed by the blood stream. But sometimes this bile, based on its composition, becomes concentrated and turns into gallbladder stones or gallstones. If not disturbed, these stones can continue sitting in the gallbladder without causing any problem. But if they move and block the cystic or the drainage duct from the gallbladder, it can lead to inflammation and infection in the bile ducts causing severe pain.
Are you likely to have stones in your gallbladder?
If you are an adult above the age of 50 and having higher levels of estrogen or triglycerides, diabetes or cholesterol lowering drugs, you are susceptible to gallbladder problems. However, people who are obese or have a family history of Gallstones are more likely to suffer.
Symptoms of gallbladder stones and bile duct problems
Usually, until the gallstones block the bile duct, none of the symptoms of Gallbladder stones are felt. But once the gallstones block the drainage duct, the following symptoms should not be ignored:
Biliary colic: A sharp shooting pain in the right part of the upper abdomen or into the chest, that lasts anywhere between 30 minutes to a few hours followed by vomiting in some patients.
Acute cholecystitis: A very serious condition where the pain is similar to Biliary colic but more severe and lasts for many days. The pain is experienced around the neck, shoulder blade, breast bone or entire left side.
Chronic cholecystitis: It is similar to acute cholecystitis but may take up to months or years to return to normalcy, causing mild inflammation and scarring and stiffness in the gallbladder.
Stones in the bile duct (choledocholithiasis): When stones reach the bile ducts, you will experience jaundice (due to built up bile in the ducts), fever, and chills with severe pain.
Pancreatitis: When gallstones get stuck in the bile duct that passes through the pancreas, it discharges enzymes causing acute pancreatitis.
Diagnosis of gallbladder stones and bile duct ailments
After a thorough check-up of the medical history and physical examination, your doctor may suggest medical procedures such as blood tests, X-rays, endoscopic ultrasound, CAT scan, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatigraphy (MRCP), HIDA scan, and Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatigraphy (ERCP). Based on these diagnosis, the most suitable treatment is suggested.
The treatment of Gallstones depends on its size and severity. Sometimes, they can be just dissolved using medicines, but have chances of reoccurring. The soft and small stones can be shattered using sound waves generated by a machine through Lithotripsy.
In about 80% of the cases, surgery called gallbladder cholecystectomy is required. In acute cases, an open cholecystectomy is done. In most cases, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed where the gallbladder is removed through a small incision in the abdomen. This type of surgery heals faster and leaves a smaller scar as compared to open surgery.
Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration is similar to laparoscopic cholecystectomy and have an option to be performed via Percutaneously (needle puncture onto the skin) laparoscopically or endoscopically. Laparoscopic bile duct bypass carries longer cuts in the abdomen for removing stones in the bile duct. The Choledochal ducts can be resected using different techniques of surgery.
SIMS hospital in Chennai now provides you with Day Care Surgery Facility to Treat Gallbladder Stones and other bile duct ailments. SIMS prides itself in providing world class facilities for your holistic recovery under the expert guidance of its founder Dr. Patta Radhakrishna.
The gallbladder fluid is the greenish brown colour liquid, also known as bile. This bile is made by the liver and includes cholesterol, fats, bile salts, proteins, and bilirubin (waste of red blood cells). This bile is very important in helping the small intestine to breakdown and emulsify fats that will be absorbed by the blood stream. But sometimes this bile, based on its composition, becomes concentrated and turns into gallbladder stones or gallstones. If not disturbed, these stones can continue sitting in the gallbladder without causing any problem. But if they move and block the cystic or the drainage duct from the gallbladder, it can lead to inflammation and infection in the bile ducts causing severe pain.
Are you likely to have stones in your gallbladder?
If you are an adult above the age of 50 and having higher levels of estrogen or triglycerides, diabetes or cholesterol lowering drugs, you are susceptible to gallbladder problems. However, people who are obese or have a family history of Gallstones are more likely to suffer.
Symptoms of gallbladder stones and bile duct problems
Usually, until the gallstones block the bile duct, none of the symptoms of Gallbladder stones are felt. But once the gallstones block the drainage duct, the following symptoms should not be ignored:
Biliary colic: A sharp shooting pain in the right part of the upper abdomen or into the chest, that lasts anywhere between 30 minutes to a few hours followed by vomiting in some patients.
Acute cholecystitis: A very serious condition where the pain is similar to Biliary colic but more severe and lasts for many days. The pain is experienced around the neck, shoulder blade, breast bone or entire left side.
Chronic cholecystitis: It is similar to acute cholecystitis but may take up to months or years to return to normalcy, causing mild inflammation and scarring and stiffness in the gallbladder.
Stones in the bile duct (choledocholithiasis): When stones reach the bile ducts, you will experience jaundice (due to built up bile in the ducts), fever, and chills with severe pain.
Pancreatitis: When gallstones get stuck in the bile duct that passes through the pancreas, it discharges enzymes causing acute pancreatitis.
Diagnosis of gallbladder stones and bile duct ailments
After a thorough check-up of the medical history and physical examination, your doctor may suggest medical procedures such as blood tests, X-rays, endoscopic ultrasound, CAT scan, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatigraphy (MRCP), HIDA scan, and Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatigraphy (ERCP). Based on these diagnosis, the most suitable treatment is suggested.
The treatment of Gallstones depends on its size and severity. Sometimes, they can be just dissolved using medicines, but have chances of reoccurring. The soft and small stones can be shattered using sound waves generated by a machine through Lithotripsy.
In about 80% of the cases, surgery called gallbladder cholecystectomy is required. In acute cases, an open cholecystectomy is done. In most cases, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed where the gallbladder is removed through a small incision in the abdomen. This type of surgery heals faster and leaves a smaller scar as compared to open surgery.
Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration is similar to laparoscopic cholecystectomy and have an option to be performed via Percutaneously (needle puncture onto the skin) laparoscopically or endoscopically. Laparoscopic bile duct bypass carries longer cuts in the abdomen for removing stones in the bile duct. The Choledochal ducts can be resected using different techniques of surgery.
SIMS hospital in Chennai now provides you with Day Care Surgery Facility to Treat Gallbladder Stones and other bile duct ailments. SIMS prides itself in providing world class facilities for your holistic recovery under the expert guidance of its founder Dr. Patta Radhakrishna.
Visit us: thegastrosurgeon.com
Mail us: gastrosurgeonchennai@gmail.com
