
Gallbladder Stone FAQs: Everything You Need to Know
What is gall bladder stone?
Gall bladder is a pear shaped hollow organ stuck beneath your liver on the right side of your abdomen. It stores some concentrated bile which is produced in your liver. Bile helps in digestion of fat in your diet.
Gallstones are hard to soft , solid pebble like material of varying size, that form in the gall bladder, made of cholesterol or bile pigment. They may not always cause symptoms.
Types of Gallstones:
Cholesterol Stones: Amber colour, usually single and made of hardened cholesterol.
Pigment Stones: Darker in color, made of calcium salt of bilirubin, a type of bile pigment.
Mixed Stones: Commonest variety, usually multiple faceted stones.
Billiary sludge: Biliary sludge, also known as gallbladder sludge, is a thick mixture of bile, cholesterol crystals, and calcium salts that forms in the gallbladder. It often appears as a precursor to gallstones and can sometimes cause discomfort or lead to complications.
Typical patient Profile:
What causes gall stones?
The honest answer is,we still do not know for sure.
Gallstones are commoner in:
- People on high cholesterol, high fat and low fiber diet.
- Commoner in women, especially those taking OC pills or other hormonal preparation, or are pregnant.
- Commoner in adults above 40.
- Commoner in obese people or in people having sedentary lifestyle.
- People with a family history of gallstones
- Those with certain health conditions, such as cirrhosis, diabetes, and high triglyceride levels.
But there are many exceptions and no exemption.
Symptoms and Complications:
Symptoms come when your gall bladder gets inflamed or cholecystitis{chole(bile)-cyst(sac)-itis(inflammation)} develops or the stones get impacted at the neck of the gall bladder or slips into the bile duct.
Usual symptoms:
- Pain in the upper right abdomen,chest, back, or right shoulder
- You may feel pukish or vomit.
- You may have fever, if pus forms in gall bladder or infection goes into the bike duct.
- You may notice jaundice if stone migrates from gall bladder into the bile duct and block it .
- Toto much dieting with rapid loss of weight.
- Gall stones can lead to serious complications like Pancreatitis and obstructive jaundice.
- Gall bladder can get inflamed even without stones known as acalculus cholecystitis.
- Although rare, gall bladder stones have an increased risk of gallbladder cancer.
Prevention:
You may try and reduce your risk of gallstones if you follow these advice:
Don’t skip meals. Try to stick to your usual mealtimes each day. Skipping meals or fasting can increase the risk of gallstones.
Lose weight slowly. If you need to lose weight, go slow. Rapid weight loss can increase the risk of gallstones.
Eat more high-fiber foods. Include more fiber-rich foods in your diet, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity and being overweight increase the risk of gallstones.
Treatment Options:
Surgery to remove the gallbladder (cholecystectomy) usually by Laparoscopic method.
Why not remove the stones only?
Unlike stones forming in kidney or in ureter, here the main culprit is the gall bladder itself losing its function. By removing stones only leaving behind the gall bladder serves no useful purpose. The stones will form in no time in it.
Shall I lose my digestive power after my gall bladder is removed?
If you eat a balanced diet and take adequate fluids and remain well hydrated,you shouldn’t have any digestive issues.
Schedule your consultation today!
Call: 98300 20547
Dr. Tapan Mukherjee is available at below hospitals :