Gallbladder Diseases Questions and Answers

Probably there is. But we do not have any concrete nutritional recommendations to prevent this. So, we cannot say that if you eat this or not, you can prevent gallstone formation. Its incidence is higher in overweight people, especially those who have rapid weight loss in a short time. In summary, there is no way to prevent the formation of gallbladder stones through external factors. Therefore, it is not possible to prevent it.

What are the symptoms of gallstones?

Some of the stones formed in the gallbladder do not cause any symptoms. Most of the time, patients cannot associate the pain on the right shoulder blade with gallstones by describing it as muscle pain or groin pain. The most important sign for those who show symptoms is pain. Pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, usually severe, lasting several hours. Sometimes it hits the back or right shoulder. Gene It usually starts suddenly. It is associated with meals and often occurs after meals. Nausea and vomiting often occur. These complaints can resolve on their own or with medication. If the pain exceeds 24 hours, it should be considered that the blockage is permanent. So, one of the symptoms is that the stone in the gallbladder passes by blocking a place. Persistent pain may mean that the stone is blocking the entrance duct of the gallbladder. If the stone blocks the gallbladder duct, then acute cholecystitis occurs. 95 percent of this disease is due to gallstones. At a much lower rate, it may also be due to tumors. These patients often experienced transient pain attacks. In this situation; There is moderate or more severe persistent pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. This pain also reveals itself during examinations. It is very easy to understand. Sometimes, in addition to pain, the patient has a mild fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. The pain increases as the patient moves and becomes more severe over time. Gallbladder stones can mimic heart diseases and stomach diseases. One of our patients had a symptom of neck pain, which went away after gallbladder surgery, for no other reason.

Are there any other symptoms?

Another symptom of gallbladder stones is the gallstones. It is jaundice that develops due to the bile coming out of the liver not being able to reach the intestine and accumulating in the blood due to it falling out of the bladder and blocking the main bile duct. It is easy to diagnose due to the accompanying severe pain. Jaundice appears a few days after the stone blocks the duct.

In patients with gallbladder stones; Nonspecific complaints such as gas in the abdomen, discomfort after eating, feeling bloated, mild nausea, and touch of food are also frequently observed.

What other diseases does the obstruction caused by gallbladder stones cause?

The stones in the gallbladder and its tract are suitable structures for microbes to attach and reproduce. For this reason, the bile of most patients with stones contains microbes. This usually does not cause a problem while normal bile flow is maintained, but if the stone causes a blockage, these microbes cause inflammation of the bile ducts, which can also lead to liver failure, called cholangitis. It may cause . It may even cause microbial growth in the blood. Urgent ERCP intervention and gallbladder and duct surgery may be required. Another important disease caused by bile duct obstruction is pancreatitis.

How are asymptomatic gallstones diagnosed?

Gallbladder stones are diagnosed by ultrasonography. 

How are asymptomatic gallstones diagnosed?

Gallbladder stones are best diagnosed by ultrasonography.

Should these stones, which do not cause any complaints, be removed?

This is a very important problem. This should be discussed with the patient. There is no information that silent gallstones are likely to cause serious problems. There are different opinions on this issue. According to several studies, the risk of them causing problems is approximately 2 percent per year. In other words, the patient can take the risk of future illnesses by saying, "I have no complaints. So they can stay there for now. If it causes problems, I will have it removed." This is one of the medical approaches that can be considered correct today. Another option is to act more aggressively, assuming that the stone may cause a serious problem at an inappropriate time, and to perform surgery even if it does not cause any complaints. Both are correct approaches for today. But I think surgical treatment should be a little more prominent, especially in young people. The most important point here is to share this information and risks with the patient and to make the decision jointly, that is, to ensure the patient's participation in the decision-making process.

What are the treatment methods?

Safra The only treatment for bladder stones is surgical removal of the gallbladder containing the stone. In the past, it has been tried to treat kidney stones with methods such as dissolving them with medication and breaking the stones with tools similar to kidney stones. But it turned out that these did not work. Because the problem is not the destruction of the stones there; It is a disease of the gallbladder itself. If the main mechanism is not eliminated, stones will form again. For example, you can dissolve the stones with medication – which is a laborious method – but A few weeks later, stones form again in the same place. The same is true when you break rocks. In fact, it is no longer applied at all because broken stones cause bigger problems. Therefore, considering that these stones appear in the gallbladder, where stagnant bile is located, rather than in the main bile ducts, the treatment should be to eliminate the place where the stones form. If there is an additional problem, for example if the stone has blocked the lower end of the main bile duct, then of course it is necessary to apply other additional treatments.

- I HAVE STONE IN MY GALLBLADDER, BUT I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS. DO I NEED TO HAVE SURGERY?

In the past, gallbladder stones that did not cause any symptoms were not operated on. The risks of surgery were higher. The risks of waiting today are greater than the risks of surgery.As heart and lung diseases develop with age, it is more advantageous to perform the surgery early, considering that the risk of gallbladder surgery will increase. However, even if there are no complaints in diabetic patients, surgery should be performed early.
 

Is surgery necessary?
Isn't there a way to pass or break the stone?

The only valid treatment for gallstones is surgery. Unlike kidney stones, there are no treatment methods such as breaking and passing. When gallstones are passed, other more serious diseases occur. (JAUNDICE, PANCREAS INFLAMMATION)

Shall my gallbladder be removed completely or only the stones in the gallbladder?

Gallstones are a disease of the gallbladder. If only stones were removed, the same stones would form again after a while. We can also continue our normal lives without a gallbladder. For this reason, there is no treatment such as simply removing stones; The gallbladder is removed along with the stones.

Removing the gallbladder does not cause a deficiency in the body, right?

Yes, but of course, if there is a disease and a There is no harm in taking it if it causes problems. Otherwise, some organs are not removed from the body just because they are not working. There are other organs such as the gallbladder, such as the appendix.

Can gallstones be seen in children?

Yes, at a low rate. It can be seen even in young children. But underlying these, there is often an anatomical disorder or a blood disease. They, too, should be operated on, just like adults.

Can the patient be operated on if it occurs during pregnancy?

If the stone in the gallbladder is detected incidentally during pregnancy, any stones in the gallbladder are detected during this period. There should be no intervention. However, if it causes a complication, it is necessary to perform surgery while there is pregnancy, regardless of pregnancy. This surgery can be performed even in the last period of pregnancy.

What happens if I do not have surgery?

First of all, the complaint of indigestion continues. Worse, if the stones are small enough (a few millimeters) to leave the gallbladder and fall into the bile ducts, theycause blockage in the bile duct, resulting in severe pain and jaundice. Slightly larger ones block the outlet of the gallbladder, causing swelling and inflammation of the gallbladder. They cause; These situations require emergency surgery.

-How soon can I return to work after surgery?

Although there are differences between patients, in closed surgery sometimes it is the 3rd day, sometimes it is the first day. After a week, you can return to work after 10 - 15 days in open surgery.

How long do I need to stay in the hospital if I have surgery?

Unless you have a disease other than gallstones. A 1-day hospital stay is sufficient for closed and open surgery.
 

Will there be a change in my life if my gallbladder is removed?

No, there will be no change. . After the surgery, the liver takes over the duty of the gallbladder. Bile required for fat digestion is quickly produced in the liver and released into the intestines without being stored. Temporary indigestion may be felt during this adaptation process. During this period, drug treatment is applied. Once the body gets used to the new situation, there is no need for any other medication.

Is a dressing required after the surgery?

One day after the surgery, your dressing is removed and the wound is left open and dry. . Absolutely no dressing is allowed. Dressings applied to a clean, dry, sterile wound may damage the healing epithelial cells and cause microbes to enter the wound from outside.

Do you write a prescription after surgery?