Gallbladder Surgery

What is gallbladder disease?

The gallbladder is about four inches long. It sits under your liver in the top right part of your abdomen. Your gallbladder is a storage compartment for bile, a liquid made in your liver that assists with breaking down fats in your food.

Your body stores bile in the gallbladder and then delivers the fluid to your small intestine via bile ducts (tubes).

What conditions might require gallbladder surgery?

Gallbladder disease often begins with gallstones, which typically form from hardened cholesterol (fat) deposits in bile. A gallstone blocking the duct can cause inflammation (cholecystitis). Repeated episodes can lead to chronic cholecystitis, which can affect gallbladder function.

Infection can also develop, or you could suffer a perforated (torn) gallbladder because of untreated gallstones. Untreated infections and perforations are potentially fatal.

In addition to the problems gallstones can cause, another disease that might require gallbladder surgery is cancer. Tumors in the gallbladder are relatively rare, but they can metastasize (spread) rapidly if untreated. 

What symptoms indicate I need gallbladder surgery?

Gallbladder disorders typically cause intense pain in the upper-right part of your abdomen, near the bottom of your ribs.

Gallstone and cholecystitis pain may come and go but is often severe. You might also develop jaundice (yellow-tinted skin), have lighter-colored stools, and have dark urine.

When you have an infection or perforation, the pain is likely unbearable and accompanied by nausea and vomiting, fever or chills, and diarrhea. At this point, you require surgery urgently.

What does gallbladder surgery involve?

Bayou City Surgical Specialists specializes in minimally invasive gallbladder surgery using laparoscopic techniques, which require only small incisions. Your surgeon views your organs on a screen using images sent back by a tiny camera on the laparoscope. They complete the procedure with special instruments that fit through the same small incisions.

Removing part of the gallbladder is possible if you have a small tumor, but in most cases, removing the entire organ (cholecystectomy) is the best option. Your body can manage without a gallbladder; you just need to regulate your fat intake to avoid digestive upsets.

To learn more about gallbladder surgery and its benefits, call Bayou City Surgical Specialists today or book an appointment online.