AllAboutYourGallBladder:Functions, Diseases,Prevention,AndTreatments
Accordingtoreports,thereisaveryhighprevalenceofEmpyemaof GallbladderinIndians.Furthermore,Indianshaveincreasedchancesof contractingCholelithiasisandCholecystitis.
EmpyemaoftheGallbladderoccurswhenthecysticductisobstructedbya malignantmasslikeaCholangiocarcinoma,resultinginthebuild-upof infectedfluid.Theygenerallyoccurwithrecurrenthiccupsandthen developinthepresenceofbacteriathatcontainbileThentheycanevolve intosuppurativeinfectionwhichcausesthegallbladdertofillwithpurulent material,termedempyemaofgallbladder.
Ifdetectedearlyontime,theycanbesuccessfullytreatedbyPercutaneous TranshepaticTholecystoduodenalSelf-ExpandableCoveredMetalStent (SECMS)insertion,atthebestgastroenterologyhospitalinBangalore,MH SurgeryELSE,thedoctoratthebesthospitalforgallbladderstonesurgery inBangalore,MHSurgerymayrecommendamixofsystemicantibiotics andurgentdrainageorresection.Thiswillhelptoreducecomplicationsof empyemaandalsoavoidortreatassociatedsepsis.
Gallbladder
AlsocalledChioecyst,Gallbladderisahollowandsmallorgansituated belowtherightlobeoftheliver,inthedigestivesystem.Measuring approximately7-10cminlengthand4cmindiameterwhenfullybloated, itisbluish-greyincolor
HOWDOESAGALLBLADDERWORK? Gallbladder
Storesbileproducedbytheliverinitspouchafteritflowsthrough thesmallvessels.Lateritsendsittothesmallintestinetohelpbreak downfood.
Contractsrhythmicallyinresponsetosignals,whenfoodcontaining cholesterolandfatsiseaten.
Concentratesthebile3-10timesthroughtheremovalofsome amountofelectrolytesandwater.
Releasesgallbladderjuiceintothesmallintestinethroughaseriesof tubes(orpipes)calledducts.
GallbladderDisease
Gallbladderdiseaseindicatesahealthconditionthatprimarilyaffectsthe healthofthegallbladder.
Thediseasestartsinthegallbladderorinthebileductsthatareconnected tothegallbladder.Intheeventofanyinfectionorblockageintheducts, theycanaffectthegallbladder.Furthermore,asthebileductsconnectthe gallbladdertootherorgansinthedigestivesystem,theycanaffectthemas well
DiseasesOfGallbladder
ThereareseveraltypesofGallbladderdiseases.Theyinclude
Gallstones
AlsocalledCholelithiasis,Gallstonesareregardedasthemostcommon causeofgallbladderhealthproblems.
Theyoccurwhenthereisanaccumulationofexcessbileproducts,that’s usuallycholesterolinthegallbladder,intolumps.Thiscancontinueto growandaddtotheaccumulationifpreventiveactionisnotinitiated.
Gallstonescanhappenwithoutsymptoms.However,theycanformandget trappedinanopeningorductinsidethegallbladder.Thiswillcause suddenpainintheabdomen,especiallyintheregionbetweenthebelly buttonjustbelowtherightribs,andribcageIfnottreatedontime,the paincanspreadtotheshoulderbladeoritssides.
Therearesomesymptomslike
Abdominalpaincanlastforseveralhours.
HeavySweating
ItchySkin.
Yellowtingetotheskin;andwhiteintheeyes.
Feverwithchills.
Dark-coloredurineorpalestools
Nausea,vomiting,andlossofappetite.
Contractionswhenthegallbladdertriestoexpelagallstone.
Asidefromtheabove,eatingfoodsthatcontainalotoffatalsocauses gallbladderissues.Theycantriggerdiscomfortcalledbiliarycolic.Finally,a personexperiencingpainmustseeadoctorelsecomplicationscanleadto severehealthissuesandturnfatallateron
Thismeansyoucanhavegallstoneswithoutknowingthattheyarealready presentinyoursystemEitherway,theycancauseproblemswhenthey blockthenormalflowofbileinthebileductsorgallbladder
GallbladderCancer
AlsocalledCanceroftheGallbladderorBileDucts,Gallbladdercanceris rare,butwhenithappensitcanbeextremelyserious.
LikeGallstones,thesymptomsofGallbladderCancertoowillnotbevisible untiltheverylatestages.Additionally,mosttypesofgallbladderpolyps (calledastumorsorgrowths)areharmless,butiftheyarelargerthanthe averagesizethentheyneedtoberemovedelsetheycanturnlethalwhich caneventuallyprovetobefatalresultingindeath
Ifgallbladdercancerisdiagnosedinitsearlystageslikeallotherformsof cancer,itcanbepreventedfromproceedingfurtherandcanevenbecured. Buttheproblemisinmostcasesitcannotbediagnosedproperlyasitwill notbevisiblefromthestart
Earlydiagnosiscanbesuccessfulifthesymptomsaredetectedpromptly. Thesesymptomsincludeabdominalpainandbloating;lossofappetiteand suddenlossofweight;highbodytemperature;whiteeyescalledjaundice andyellowfever;andalumpinthebelly.
Cholangiopathy
ItreferstothediseaseoftheBileDuctsthatbeginstypicallywiththe inflammationofthebileductsresultingfromatemporaryinfection;or blockage;oraprogressiveautoimmunedisorderlikeprimarybiliary cholangitiswhichcanleadtothenarrowingandscarringofthebileducts (biliarystructure)Thiscaneventuallycompelthebiletobackupinthe gallbladderandliver.
GangreousCholecystitis
Mostcommonlyprevalentamongdiabeticsandpatientswhodelay consultingamedicalspecialistfortreatment,itresultsfromsevere abdominalpainIfleftuntreated,itcanleadtothedeathofthetissuein thegallbladderandevencausethegallbladdertoburst
GallbladderEmpyema
AsevereformofCholecystitis,itresultsfromtheaccumulationofpusin thegallbladder
Itssymptomsrangefromright-sideabdominalpaintochills,andfever.If leftuncaredforanduntreated,itcanturnlethalleadingtodeathHence,it mustbeimmediatelytreated,whenpusingallbladderforms.
GallstonePancreatitis
ItreferstoaGallbladderdiseasewheregallstonesforminthegallbladder inawaythatwillblockthepancreaticduct,resultingintheinflammationof pancreatitisculminatinginseverepain.
Thecauseforthisisthegallbladderstonewhichtravelsfromthe gallbladder.Thenthereitblockstheopeningtothefirstpartofthesmall
intestine(calledtheduodenum).Thiscausesabackupoffluidthatis capableoftravelingupthebileductaswellasthepancreaticduct.
Commonsymptomsofthisdiseaseincludechills,fever,nausea,jaundice, painintheupperleftabdomen,andvomiting.Incase,thesymptomsare mild,theproblemcanbetreatedbyjustavoidingeatinganddrinkingfora specificnumberofdaysasadvisedbythedoctor
Ontheotherhand,inmoreseverecases,surgeryneedstobedoneto removethegallstoneselseitcanprovetobelethallaterresultingineven deathTopreventtheissuefromsnowballingintoasevereform,itisbetter totakepreventivestepslikeadiagnosiswiththehelpofbloodtestsor variedtypesofbodyscanslikeCTScansorMRIs,orUltrasounds.
Gangrene
TermedasoneofthemoreseriouscomplicationsofChronicCholecystitis, itresultsinsustainedswellinganddistensionofthegallbladdercausedby chronicinflammationofthegallbladderThiscaneventuallyleadtowhat’s calledas‘TissueDeath’
Ifthesetissuedeathsarelefttofester,theycanburstortear.Anytearor burstinthegallbladderwallcanriskexposingtherestoftheabdominal cavitytoaninfectioncalledasPeritonitis.
ChronicCholecystitis
Itoccursasaresultofinflammationinthegallbladderthatfestersforthe long-term.Thisresultsingallbladdernotdrainingproperly.
Thecauseofthisproblemcanbeattributedtogallbladdersblockingaduct; orgallbladdernotabletoemptyproperly;orprevalenceofhigh concentrationofbilesaltandcalcium;orsicklecellanemia.
Thesymptomsofthisgallbladderdiseaseincludecontinualoccurrenceof suddeninflammation;andsuddenpaininthebody.Whencomparedto thepaincausedbyacutecholecystitis,thepainwillberelativelymilder;and alsothepersonsufferingfromitwillusuallynotbehavingafever.
AcuteCholecystitis
Itoccursasaresultoftheprevalenceofgallstones;orothercauseslike after-effectsofamajorsurgery;orafter-effectsofacriticalillness;or
infectionoraweakimmunesystem.Incase,theinflammationturnssevere, itcanleadtotheruptureofthegallbladderandthepatientcanbecome veryill.
Thesymptomsofthisdiseaseincludesudden,intensepainwhichcanlast forsixtotwelvehours;ornauseaandvomiting;orskincolorturninginto mildyellow;orswellingintheabdomen
SymptomsOfGallbladderDiseases
Thesymptomsofgallbladderdiseasecanvaryfrompersontoperson basedonthetypeandconditionofthedisease.Themostcommon symptomispainintheupperabdominalareaintheupperrightareaor middlearea.
OthersymptomsincludeChills;ChestPain;Clay-coloredstool;Stomach fullnessfeeling;Heartburnorindigestionorexcessivepain;Vomitingand Nausea;Jaundice–yellowingoftheeyesandskin;Tenderfeelinginthe abdomen,especiallytherightupperquadrant;andpainthatstretches belowtherightshoulderbladeortheback(worsensaftereatingameal thatcontainsfattyorgreasyfoods;orpainthatincreaseswhenthepatient breathesindeeply)
Treatment
Treatmentofgallbladderdiseasedependsuponthetypeofgallbladder diseaseyouhave.
GallbladderSurgery
Therearedifferenttypesofgallbladdersurgeryfordifferenttypesof gallbladderdiseasesandissues.
CHOLECYSTECTOMY
Regardedasthemostcommonsurgicalgallbladdersurgery,itrelatesto gallstonesingallbladderresultinginseverepain;andfacilitatesitsremoval
Asidefromthis,therearetwopopularsurgeriesthatareperformedto removegallbladder.
LAPAROSCOPICSURGERY:Consideredtobethemostpreferred methodofsurgery,itinvolvesseveralsmallincisionsinthe
gallbladderthroughwhichatinyvideocameraandsurgicaltoolsare inserted.
OPENSURGERY:Itinvolvesalargeincisioninthegallbladderwhose infectionhasbecomehardandneedstobeimmediatelyremoved. Thiskindofsituationgenerallyoccursinfivetotenpercentof laparoscopicgallbladdersurgeriesHowever,whenthegallbladder diseasebecomesverysevere,thenanopensurgerybecomes inevitable.
MINIMALLYINVASIVESURGERY:Alsocalledas LaparoscopicCholecystectomy,aMinimallyInvasiveSurgeryis consideredtobethemosteffectivesurgeryforremoving gallbladderWhatmakesitsoisitusessmallincisionswhichresults inlesspain,fewerpost-operativecomplications,shorterhospital stay,andfasterrecoverytime.Additionally,itisperformedbyonlya highlyexperiencedandwell-trainedsurgicalteam;andthepatient canreturntonormallifewithinmonths.
Apartfromtheabovetwosurgeries,thereisEndoscopicIntervention
ENDOSCOPICINTERVENTION
Yourgastroenterologydoctoratthebesthospitalgallbladderstone surgeryinBangalore,MHSurgery,willperformendoscopicinterventionto fixminorgallbladderissueswiththehelpofanendoscope.Ifsuccessfully done,thenthedoctorwillresorttosurgery
AnendoscopicinterventioninvolvesanERCPand/orEUSexamination. Thiswillhelptodetectthepresenceofanyblockagesortumorsorstones thatcouldbecausingproblemsIfdetected,thedoctorwilleitherremove gallstones,orplacestentstoopen-upbileducts,orjusttaketissuesamples requiredforbiopsy,withthehelpofinstrumentsontheendofthe endoscope
Medication
Appropriatemedicationasrecommendedbyagastroenterologyspecialist atthebestgastroenterologyhospitalinBangalore,MHSurgery,willhelpto reversefurthergrowthofgallstonesoroccurrenceofgallstones.Butitis
generallyresortedtoasalastoptionandthattoowhengallbladder surgeryisnotanoption.
Themedicationintheformofadrugcalled‘Ursodiol’,whentakenhelpsto dissolvethecholesterolingallstonesslowly.However,itcantakemonths todeliverpositiveresultsbutcanreturnbackifthemedicationintakeis stopped
Painmedicationisgenerallyrecommendedbythedoctorforacutecases ofbiliarycolicorgallbladderattacks(theyrequireaprescriptionpain medicationtomanagethem),basedonthepatient’smedicalhistoryand symptomsofthedisease.
Asidefrommedication,antibioticsarerecommendedifyouhavea gallbladderinfection;butitwillbetakenonlyaprecursortoasurgical treatment.Also,thismustbestrictlytakenonlyifadvisedbythe gastroenterologydoctoratthebestgastroenterologyhospitalinBangalore, MHSurgery.
OtherTherapies
DIETARYCHANGES
Whenthegallbladderisremoved,thebodywillnolongerbeinaposition tostorebilethereAsaresultofthis,theliverwillneedtoadapttothe releaseofbileintothesmallintestinesdirectly.Thiswillhelptofacilitate effectivedigestion.
TheyarerecommendedafteragallbladdersurgeryToadapttothenew dietarychanges,itisadvisabletotakehard-to-digestfoodsslowly;and alsoeatsmallermealsatfrequentintervals.Theywillhelptoreducethe smallintestine’sdemandforbileatanyparticulartime.
NOTE:
Ifagallstoneisblockingyourcommonbileduct,yourdoctorcould recommendanEndoscopicRetrogradeCholangiopancreatography (ERCP).Thiswillhelptodiagnoseyourgallbladderdiseasecondition andbasedonfindings,stepstakentotreatitimmediately
Ifyouaresufferingfromgallbladdercancer,inadditiontohaving thegallbladderremoved,thedoctorwillrecommendadditional treatmentslikechemotherapyorradiationtherapy