Gallstones Surgery

Gallstones Surgery


Gallstones Treatment in India - Symptoms and Procedure

Gallstones or gallbladder stones are small, hard deposits which are formed in the gall bladder as a result of the accumulation of digestive fluids. The gallbladder an organ lying on the right side of your abdomen, and below the liver, pear-shaped and small in size. The gallbladder is responsible for holding bile, which is a digestive juice and is later discharged into the small intestine for further digestion. Gallstones can have several sizes ranging from tiny (as small as a grain of sand) to quite large, as big a golf ball. Gallstones can either just be one or may, depending upon the condition of your gall bladder. If people may have an effect on their overall health and day to day activities due to the presence of gallstones, then they may be required to carry get a gallbladder removal surgery done. If gallstones that do not any effect or cause any signs and symptoms, then you may not be required a treatment.

Symptoms that you have Gallstones

Some gallstones may not have any signs or symptoms. However, once these stones enter the duct, the can cause severe blockage, which may result in the following signs and symptoms may include:

  • Abrupt and severe pain in the upper right portion of the abdomen
  • Abrupt and severe pain around the central abdomen, just below the breastbone
  • Intense pain between the shoulder blades
  • An ache in the right shoulder
  • An intense feeling of nausea and vomiting

How do I know if I have had gallstones?

Gallstones don't usually produce any symptoms in most individuals. Silent stones are those that nobody observes. A gallbladder attack occurs when signs of gallstones first appear and includes:

Pain in the abdomen

Abdominal discomfort, or biliary colic, is the most prevalent symptom of gallstones. This discomfort is often placed in the right upper or mid-abdomen, underneath the ribs, and may be uncomfortable. Your back or right shoulder may also be affected if this discomfort radiates from your belly. It's not uncommon.

Other areas of the body are hurting as well

The pain or soreness in other body places is another sign of gallstones and stomach pain. You may, for example, experience a stinging sensation in your skin:

  • In the space between your shoulders.
  • Underneath the breastbone
  • In your right triceps
  • In the middle of your heart.

Only when the gallstone is moving will you feel the discomfort subside. Using the toilet or passing gas or vomiting will not help.

Causes of formation of Gallstones

The exact causes of gallstones have still not been identified. However, doctors strongly think that the cause of gallstone formation is due to one or more of the following conditions:

1. When the bile juice has a lot of cholesterol

If the bile secreted by your liver contains normal quantities of cholesterol, then the chemicals present in your bile should be enough to dissolve and digest the cholesterol. However, if there is an excess quantity present in the cholesterol, then what the bile chemicals can dissolve, it may eventually lead to form crystals which later develop into stones.

2. When your bile contains too much bilirubin

Bilirubin is a yellowish compound in the body which is synthesized when the red blood cells in the body break down. If the due to somebody conditions, the amount of bilirubin secreted is higher than normal level, it can lead to gallstone formation.

3. Your gallbladder doesn't empty enough

If your gallbladder doesn't empty or discharge completely, then the bile juice may get very concentration, leading to the formation of gallstones.

Risk Factors for the formation

Apart from causes, there can be a set of factors which increase the risk of formation of gallstones. They are:

  • Having a sedentary lifestyle
  • Pregnancy
  • Eating a high-fat diet
  • Eating high-cholesterol meals
  • Eating low fibre diet
  • Family has a history of gallstones
  • Diabetes or family history of diabetes
  • Drastic loss of weight
  • Consumption of medications high in estrogen, like oral contraceptives or hormone therapy drugs
  • Having liver disease

Types of Gallstones

There are mainly two types of gallstones that can be formed in the gallbladder. They include:

1. Cholesterol Gallstones

These are the most commonly occurring type of gallstones and have a yellow appearance, composed mainly of undissolved cholesterol.

2. Pigment Gallstones

These type of gallstones are darker in color either brown or black and are formed as a result of  too much bilirubin in the bile.

Gallstones Treatment

Most individuals who have gallstones but don't produce any symptoms won't ever require treatment for them. Your signs and the findings of diagnostic tests will be taken into consideration by your physician when determining whether or not a medication for gallstones is necessary.

Your physician may advise you to look for indications of problems caused by gallstones, such as a worsening discomfort in the upper right quadrant of your abdomen. You have the option of receiving treatment if indications and symptoms associated with gallstones manifest in the future. The following are some of the treatment options for gallstones:

Surgical removal of the gallbladder will be performed because gallstones so commonly return; your doctor may advise that you undergo surgery to have your gallbladder removed. This means that when you have surgery to remove your gallbladder, it will flow straight into your small bowel instead of storing bile in this organ. It is not necessary to have a gallbladder to survive, and the absence of a gallbladder does not impact a person's capacity to digest food; nonetheless, removing a gallbladder may result in constipation, which is often only transitory.

Medicines that may dissolve gallstones in the gallbladder. Oral medications have the potential to assist in the dissolution of gallstones. Gallstones may be dissolved with this method; however, it may take many months or even years of therapy. If therapy is discontinued, new gallstones will probably develop. There are instances in which drugs are ineffective. The use of medication to treat gallstones is not very frequent and is often reserved for patients unable to undergo the procedure.

Recommended doctors for Gallstones Surgery

1. Dr. Vicky Kuldeep

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2. Dr. Sumeet Shah

dr-sumeet-shah-hernia-surgery-doctor

3. Dr. Vinay Kumar Shaw

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4. Dr. Arvind Kumar

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5. Dr. Nikhil Narain

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Gallstones Surgery

Most gallstones are removed via a laparoscopic gallbladder removal. The doctor first injects general anaesthesia before making  3 or 4 incisions in the abdomen. Through this incisions, the doctor inserts a small, tube-like device called laparoscope to view the gallstone and then carefully removes your gallbladder. You may experience loose or watery stools after gallbladder removal. Removing a gallbladder involves rerouting the bile from the liver to the small intestine. Bile no longer goes through the gallbladder and it becomes less concentrated. The result is a laxative effect that causes diarrhoea. To treat this, eat a diet lower in fats so that you release less bile.

How to get rid of gallstones naturally, without having to undergo surgery

Pain that is severe and stabbing in nature might be a symptom of gallstones, often manifest in the upper right quadrant of the belly. Your back and shoulder blades may be affected by this ache. Another set of symptoms includes gastrointestinal issues, including sickness, puking, and constipation.

Before attempting to cure gallstones on your own, see your doctor. Your primary care physician is the best person to assist you in obtaining an accurate diagnosis. In addition, they are well-versed in all of the available therapy alternatives. See a doctor immediately if your eyes are becoming yellow, you have a fever or chills, or you have severe stomach discomfort.

Yoga

Some people believe that yoga might assist in the natural passage of gallstones. One research revealed that practicing yoga helped persons with diabetes' lipid profiles. According to another study, those with cholesterol gallstones had a higher likelihood of having aberrant lipid profiles. The investigators, nevertheless, failed to establish a link between these aberrant levels and gallstones.

It's not certain whether or not the practice of yoga may assist with the signs of gallstones, though there's some preliminary evidence that it does.

Infuse your milk thistle with health benefits

For ages, people have utilized milk thistle as a therapeutic detoxifier for their livers. Gallstones have not been studied as a possible side effect, even though they may assist the liver and gallbladder. Milk thistle may be taken orally or as a supplement as a pill or tablet. Milk thistle will not be used by those with diabetes, ragweed sensitivities, or hormone-sensitive malignancies.

Gallstone Surgery Recovery

Since the gallstone surgery recovery is minimally invasive, the recovery is much faster and less painful than the conventional open surgery.

You will be discharged the same day and can resume the activities in about a week as compared to the open surgery where the recovery may take a month at a minimum.

Risks of Gallstone Surgery

Although the risk of laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is very low., however, some risks and complications may arise in a few exceptional cases. They include:

  • Infection or pain at the site of the incision
  • Internal bleeding
  • Bile duct injury
  • Injury to small intestine due to surgical equipments
  • Allergy to general anaesthesia

Gallstones Surgery FAQs

How do gallstones form?

A lack of bile salts, too much cholesterol, or too much bilirubin in the bile may lead to the formation of gallstones. The reason for these bile alterations is still a mystery to scientists. Gallstones can develop if the gallbladder isn't entirely or often expelled.

In the event of gallstones, what should you expect?

Stomach-to-small-intestine flow is disrupted when gallstones form in the tubes (ducts) connecting the liver and gallbladder. There is the possibility of severe discomfort, jaundice, and bile duct infection. The pancreatic duct is blocked.

What happens if you don't get rid of your gallstones?

Fatal consequences may arise when gallstones get lodged in the gallbladder, such as irritation and inflammation of the bile duct, pancreatitis, or choleretic necrosis. Gallbladder cancer may also be a possibility if left untreated.

Aside from the liver, are other organs impacted by gallstones?

As far as the biliary system is concerned, gallstone disease is the most frequent ailment. The gallbladder and other parts of the biliary system are common locations for developing gallstones, which are solid masses resembling pebbles.

Are there any foods that dissolve gallstones?

Making changes to your diet won’t help you get rid of your gallstones, but if you start a healthy and balanced diet that is rich in various nutrients and has less cholesterol-rich food and saturated fat, it can ease your gallstone symptoms. Avoid fried food, processed food, red meat, and whole-milk dairy consumption to prevent the worsening of your appendicitis.

Do gallstones dissolve or gets flushed out by drinking lots of water?

No, gallbladder stones are not kidney stones. Kidney stones, as they are formed inside the kidney, gets dissolved or can be flushed out through your urine if you keep drinking adequate water. Gallstones, on the other hand, are formed inside the gallbladder which is situated under your liver. That is why drinking too much water will not flush out the stones.

Is there any herbal treatment for gallstones?

There are many remedies that claim to cleanse your gallbladder which helps dissolve or break up the gallstones. Apple juice is also widely used as a herbal treatment for gallstones as it is known to soften the stones so that they can be flushed out.

When is a gallstone serious?

A stone in the gallbladder can block your pancreatic duct which may result in an inflammation in the pancreas also known as pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a serious health condition that can lead to hospitalization. People with a history of gallstones have a higher risk of developing a gallbladder cancer which can be fatal.

Is an expulsion of gallstones with stool possible?

In some rare cases, small stones may enter the intestine and get out of the body through stool. However, typically gallstones don’t go away on their own unlike kidney stones. It requires surgical help to get rid of the stones.

How to get rid of gallstones without surgery?

If you do not wish to undergo a gallstones surgery, you can take the help of ursodiol which is a natural bile acid that aids in dissolving the cholesterol stones when taken orally two to four times a day or as directed by the physician. This could be tried to dissolve small stones.