A gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ located beneath the right side of the liver. It collects and concentrates a digestive juices or bile produced by the liver usually after eating to aid in digestion. Bile moves through narrow tubular passage (bile ducts) into the small intestine.
In most people, removal of the Gallbladder (Cholecystectomy) does not hamper digestion.
Complications
The complication of gallbladder generally occurs due to the presence of gallstones, consisting of bile salts and cholesterol produced in the gallbladder or bile ducts. It is still uncertain why gallstones are produced in a gallbladder? But in females who have crossed 40 years and obese, there is a higher risk of causing gallbladder stones, prior to pregnancy. Some patients are having a family history of gallstones, but it may also occur in old persons. Gallstones can prevent the flow of bile from the gallbladder; causing it to get choked, swelled up that lead to intense abdominal pain, indigestion, vomiting, and fever. Moreover, jaundice may also occur in the later stage of Chronic Cholecystitis or Inflammation of the gall bladder.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Till now, no treatment option is available to prevent gallstones.
Ultrasound is the most common method to locate gallstones, but in complex cases, other diagnostic procedures like X-ray, CT scan or a gallbladder nuclear medicine scan can be used to assess gallbladder disease.
Gallstones never go away by their-self. They can only be managed and prevented by making dietary adjustments or reducing fat intake. Mostly treatments to dissolve and break up gallstones are found unsuccessful. Therefore, surgical removal of the gallbladder is the only time-tested and safe treatment.
In western countries, Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy has rapidly become the most commonly performed procedure for a routine gallbladder removal or Cholestectomy. It is a safe and effective noninvasive management of gallstones and Kidney stone removal treatment. The huge acceptance of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy was mainly gained through universal acclamation of patient’s demand.
Benefits
- It requires only four small incisions in the abdomen instead of 5 to 7 inch incisions
- Minimum postoperative pain and need for analgesic medications
- Faster recovery and shorter hospital stays less than 24 hours to maximum 1 week
- Quicker return to the full activity within 1 week and better patient’s satisfaction
Stepwise Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Procedure
- A Patient is allowed to sleep throughout the procedure under general anesthesia.
- A Cannula (a narrow tube-like instrument) is then inserted into the abdomen through a small incision near the belly-button.
- A Laparoscope connected to a camera is then inserted through the Cannula that helps in providing a magnified view of the patient’s internal organs on a monitor.
- Other Cannulas are also inserted to gently separate the gallbladder from its supports and attachments and remove through one of the incision.
- During the operation, location, number, and size of gallstones may be accessed with an X-ray or Cholangiogram
- If one or more stones are located in the common bile duct, then it can be removed with a procedure known as ERCP using an endoscope or through an open surgery.
- Once the gallbladder is removed, the small incisions are closed with absorbable stitches or glue or surgical tape.
Originally, Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy was performed in young and thin patients, but later on, it has been also used to perform in obese or old-age patients due to minimally invasive advantages.
Prophylactic Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy can be considered in following conditions:
- Removing calculi having a size of greater than 30 mm in diameter, especially in patients with high prevalence of gallbladder cancer.
- A long-standing obliterated cystic canal
- Calcified or Nonperforming gallbladder
- Large polyp size greater than 10 mm
- Gallbladder trauma
- Abnormal connection of biliary and pancreatic and ducts
Risks Involved
Although, Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy comes with a lot of advantages but still this procedure may not be suitable for patients who are having complicated and severe gallbladder disease or undergone previous upper abdominal surgery.
Therefore it is essential for you, first go for a medical evaluation and consult with experienced surgeons at Shah Hospital. They are specialized in performing various laparoscopic surgeries successfully.
