What is gallbladder stone?
The gallbladder is a pear-shaped sac located under the liver. It stores and concentrates the bile produced in the liver. Bile is a greenish-brown alkaline fluid containing waste products, cholesterol, and bile salts. Bile isn’t a digestive enzyme; but bile salts help break down large fat droplets, aiding in digestion. The chemical composition of bile is sufficient to dissolve the cholesterol produced by the liver; but sometimes, an excess of cholesterol can crystallize over time, leading to the formation of stones.
Gallbladder stones are generally seen around the age of 40 and are more common in women and overweight individuals however, they are observed in approximately one out of every ten people on average. They are generally harmless and don’t require emergency surgery; however, gallstones that block the bile ducts can lead to serious infections in the bile ducts, pancreas, or liver, affecting one’s life significantly. Therefore, they need to be monitored.
What are the types of gallstones?
Gallstones are typically divided into two groups based on their composition: cholesterol and pigment stones. When examining the structure of gallstones, the primary components include cholesterol, bile pigment, and calcium, along with small amounts of iron, phosphorus, carbohydrates, cell remnants, and mucus.
What are the symptoms of gallbladder stones?
The majority of gallbladder stones do not cause any symptoms throughout a person’s lifetime; they are usually detected incidentally. However, in about 12% of these cases, various symptoms may occur due to inadequate bilirubin excretion. These individuals may experience pain in the upper abdominal region, pain radiating to the back and right shoulder, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, jaundice, abdominal distension, indigestion caused by the consumption of fatty foods, belching, and gas.
How are gallbladder stones diagnosed?
For diagnosis, a detailed medical history and examination are necessary. Following this, complete blood count, liver function tests, bilirubin, amylase, urine analysis, and abdominal ultrasound are performed. In cases where there are complaints despite no issues being detected on ultrasound, oral cholecystography (scintigraphy of the biliary system, including the gallbladder and bile ducts) is performed. If deemed necessary, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) are used for diagnostic purposes.
How are gallbladder stones treated?
The treatment of gallbladder stones is divided into two categories as surgical and non-surgical. Surgical methods are applied to gallbladder stones that cause severe symptoms. The gallbladder is removed with surgery.
Today, laparoscopic gallbladder surgeries are preferred over open surgeries.
Non-surgical treatments are used for high-risk patients who cannot undergo surgery or those who refuse it. These treatments involve the use of litholytic agents (drugs that dissolve stones) and are most successful when the gallbladder has not lost its function and the stones are pure cholesterol. The success of this treatment is not permanent. Stone formation may recur in the wound of the patients after treatment.
Should gallbladder stones be removed as soon as they are detected?
Not every gallbladder stone requires surgery. If the gallbladder stone that has formed has not caused symptoms like upper abdominal pain, pain radiating to the back and right shoulder, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, jaundice, abdominal distension, indigestion caused by the consumption of fatty foods, belching, and gas, it is recommended that the individual undergo yearly follow-up examinations.
Can one live without a gallbladder?
After gallbladder surgery, where the entire gallbladder is removed, a person can easily continue their life.
The gallbladder serves as a storage organ in the body. Once its role removed after surgery, the body adjusts the amount of bile produced by the liver. Within 7-10 days, patients start to adapt to their new digestive system.
