General Surgery
Gallbladder Surgery
The Gallbladder
The liver produces bile which is drained to the gallbladder and stored. After food consumption the gallbladder releases the bile via the pancreas to the small bowel. The bile then mixes with the food and aids in fat digestion.
Gallstones
- Affects 10% of adults
- Stones form in the gallbladder when the bile fluid becomes unbalanced leading to formation of bile precipitates known as gallstones
Risk factors for forming Gallstones
- 80% are cholesterol and mixed gallstones
- Multiple pregnancies
- Obesity
- Rapid weight loss
- Ageing
- Some ethnic groups
- Female
- 20% are bile pigments
- Patients with blood disorders
Symptoms and Complications of Gallstones
- Asymptomatic
- Biliary colic
- Cholecystitis
- Choledocholithiasis
- Ascending Cholangitis
- Pancreatitis
- Mirrizi Syndrome
Indications for a cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal)
Gallstones causing:
- Recurrent biliary colic
- Cholecystitis
- Ascending cholangitis
- Pancreatitis
- Choledocholithiasis
- Mirrizi Syndrome
- Microlithiasis
- Biliary dyskinesia
- Large gallstones
Treatment of Gallstones
Surgery is the gold standard treatment for symptomatic gallstones. This is usually performed as laparoscopic (key hole) surgery with four small incisions and removal of the gallbladder.
Recovery from Surgery
Patients can be discharged the same or following day and return to usual activities, except for avoiding heavy lifting for 6 weeks to prevent hernia development.
Would weight loss surgery benefit you?
BMI is one of the leading ways of measuring obesity, find out if you’re a candidate for surgery. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by their height in meters squared. The Nation Institute of Health defines normal weight, overweight and obesity according to BMI.
