Gallbladder: What are the causes that can lead to gallbladder removal?

Gallbladder: What are the causes that can lead to gallbladder removal?

What is the gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a very small organ in the human body. It is pear-shaped and weighs about 8 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. the gallbladder is located beside the stomach, the right section of the abdomen.

It stores bile, a fluid produced by the liver to help break down fatty meals you eat in the intestine. (1. 2. 3)

Summary:

The gallbladder stores bile, a fluid produced by the liver to help break down fatty meals you eat.

Symptoms:

Disorders are common in the symptoms. These include:

Fever

 This may be a symptom of infection, and the patient should visit a physician as soon as possible.

Jaundice

Blockage or stone in the bile duct may be marked by yellow-tinted skin.

Pain

It happens in the middle to upper-right section of the tummy.

Stool abnormality

 The stool color is light and may be a sign of a common bile duct blockage.

Nausea

It may cause digestive troubles, such as acid reflux or gas. (2)

Summary:

Disorders are common in the symptoms. Pain is the most common symptom if there is a disorder with it. and the severity of the pain depends on the cause of the pain.

Conditions:

  • Cholecystitis: Condition of the gallbladder, usually because of a gallstone in the gallbladder. It causes severe pain. It requires surgery.
  • Gallstones (cholelithiasis): It is for unobvious causes, substances in bile can reduce in the gallbladder, including gallstones. Common and harmless, gallstones can sometimes cause discomfort or pain, nausea, or inflammation.
  • Gallstone pancreatitis: An affected gallstone clogs the ducts that drain the pancreas.
  • Gallbladder cancer: It is rare, but cancer can impact the gallbladder. It is difficult to detect and in most cases usually found at the last stages. (4)

Summary:

Many gallbladder conditions include Cholecystitis, Gallstones (cholelithiasis), Gallstone pancreatitis, and Gallbladder cancer.

What are the risk factors?

These factors that may raise the risk of gallstones (5) include:

  • Having certain blood disorders
  • Being age 40 or older
  • Diabetes
  • Being overweight
  • Family history of gallstones
  • Pregnancy
  • liver disease
  • High-fat diet
  • High-cholesterol diet
  • Low-fiber diet

Why does the gallbladder require to be removed?

If someone suffers from severe pain, the physician decides to remove it because of the gallstones. This is due to stones beginning and forming in the gallbladder. Therefore, this causes an imbalance in the substance that consists of bile.

There are no symptoms and you may not be aware you have a blockage in the flow of bile (acute cholecystitis) or pancreas (acute pancreatitis). (1)

This can cause symptoms such as:

  • Sudden and severe abdomen pain
  • feeling of sick
  • Jaundice: yellowing of the skin.

Summary:

Removing it through surgery is the best treatment in the vast majority of cases.

Other treatments

Surgery is not the only method to treat it. It Depends on the case and diagnosis, treatment may include:

  • Over-the-counter (OTC): pain relievers
  • Lithotripsy: a method that uses shock waves to break down apart the gallstones.
  • Oral dissolution therapy: It does not effective enough. (2)

Summary:

Not all cases will need medical treatment or surgery. Remedies may be able to relieve the pain. 

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