Disorders of the gallbladder: gallstones and inflammation of the gallbladder

Clinics for gastroenterology
Intro

The gallbladder stores the bile produced by the liver. Bile is important for the digestion of fats in the intestines. Gallstones occur in around 15 to 20% of all adults and are more common in women than in men. If gallstones cause discomfort, an inflammation of the gallbladder is often also present. In this case, the patient will have a high fever and suffer severe pain in the right upper abdomen and vomiting. The gallbladder is immediately removed in a cholecystectomy.

Gallstones
Many people have gallstones, and most of them never notice. Gallstones occur when cholesterol or bilirubin no longer remains dissolved in the bile fluid. Only 20% of those affected experience discomfort. They experience a feeling of fullness or pain in the right upper abdomen. Biliary colic occurs if a stone from the gallbladder moves through the narrow bile duct. With medication for the pain and cramps, the stones often go away on their own. If this does not succeed, they can be broken down from outside of the body using sound waves or surgically removed.

Inflammation of the gallbladder
Inflammation of the gallbladder is generally the result of irritation of the gallbladder caused by gallstones. On rare occasions, it occurs together with severe illnesses or after major surgery. In addition to the symptoms of gallstones, patients also experience a high fever. Unlike biliary colic, the pain is constantly intense. If the bile ducts are blocked by a gallstone, bile accumulates in the body. The patient turns yellow (jaundice). The inflamed gallbladder must be removed immediately as it can cause serious complications. Chronic gallbladder inflammation can lead to gallbladder cancer.

Gallbladder surgery
The gallbladder can be removed in two ways: either by means of an open abdominal incision or through minimally invasive small abdominal incisions. The second variant is now most common. The instruments are inserted through small incisions in the abdominal wall. The surgeon moves the instruments from outside the body and monitors the operation on a screen. The gallbladder is then extracted through a tube. As the incisions are only very small, healing is faster and the scars are barely visible.