Specializing in Hernia and Gallbladder Surgery
The gallbladder is a small, sac-like, pear-shaped organ. It sits under the liver in the upper-right part of the abdomen. The liver makes bile, a fluid that breaks down fats in foods to aid digestion. Some of this bile is stored in the gallbladder. The gallbladder also concentrates the bile by removing water. After a fatty meal, the gallbladder squeezes bile through ducts into the small intestine.
Usually bile moves smoothly from the gallbladder into the rest of your digestive system. If gallstones form in the gallbladder, the stones can block the release of bile. This can cause pain, and in some cases, serious problems.
Gallbladder problems can cause many distressing symptoms. You may have felt severe stomach pain, back pain, pain under your breastbone, heartburn, or have an upset stomach. Symptoms may have started sometime after a meal. This may have been the first attack. Or you may have had other attacks in the past. Now your doctor may be saying your pain is due to gallstones. These are linked to a diseased gallbladder. Because your symptoms are likely to worsen if not treated, you should think about the options for relieving your pain. Keep in mind if a diseased gallbladder is removed, the liver still makes bile to aid digestion.
Sometimes there may be too much or too little of the bile or other liquid chemicals inside the gallbladder. When this happens, some of the chemicals crystallize (becomes solid) and form gallstones. If the stones stay in the gallbladder, they may not cause problems. But if they move into and block may ducts, bile can back up. This may lead to pain, nausea, infections, or diseases of the liver. It may also lead to pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas).
These are some of the ways you may need to prepare for surgery: