Removal or removal of gallbladder: everything you need to know
The gallbladder It consists of a pear-shaped organ that we find located under the liver. Among its most important functions is responsible for storing bile, a liquid produced by the liver in order to digest fats, which is released into the small intestine to help both the process of digestion and the proper absorption of the fats It is also responsible for improving the solubility of cholesterol, fats and vitamins, improving their proper absorption.
However, certain conditions may influence the removal of the gallbladder, a medical-surgical procedure consisting of the extraction of the vesicle. Among the conditions that most commonly lead to this operation are the presence of stones in the gallbladder (which are medically known by the name of gallstones), when there is a inflammation of the gallbladder (which usually tends to be acute), or in the presence of a gallbladder cancer.
Precisely among the conditions that most lead to the removal is due to the presence of gallstones, which are formed when there are substances in the bile that tend to harden, and then over time obstruct the flow of bile through the ducts biliary As a result, it can cause pain, inflammation and in more serious conditions a pancreatitis.
What is the removal of the gallbladder?
Removal of the gallbladder, As its name indicates, involves the surgical removal of the gallbladder, a small pear-shaped organ found under the liver, which among other important functions is responsible for storing bile to improve the digestion of fats.
Nowadays it is a surgery that is done by laparoscopy, becoming in fact the most common way to remove the gallbladder. For this, a laparoscope is used, which consists of a thin, lighted tube that allows the doctor to see the inside of the abdomen. General anesthesia is used, so the patient is deeply asleep and does not feel any pain.
However, it can also be removed through open surgery. It consists of the traditional surgical technique, consisting of the incision of 7 to 10 centimeters in the upper right part of the abdomen. Of course, this is a technique that is only allowed for cases in which due to the specific characteristics of the patient can not perform a laparoscopic surgery (for example, by previous surgeries).
Other techniques consist of transvaginal or transumbilical vesicle extraction, which means that natural orifices are used (for example in the case of the vagina or navel) for their removal. It is characterized for being a very little invasive process, which leaves no visible scars in the patient.
How is the laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder done?
To perform the surgery, the surgeon makes 3 to 4 small incisions in the abdomen of the person. Through one of these incisions the laparoscope is introduced, while other medical instruments will be introduced through the other incisions in order to assist in the removal.
Once this is done, gas is pumped to expand the abdomen, which helps the surgeon to have more space to work. Then, with the help of the laparoscope, the surgeon removes the gallbladder.
It is possible that, during the surgery, a cholangiography is performed, which consists of a useful radiograph to find stones that may be outside the gallbladder to extract them with the help of a special instrument.
What are the causes that lead to the need for gallbladder removal?
In most cases it is mainly due to the presence of gallstones, which can cause blockage of the duct that drains the gallbladder, causing a cramping pain that is located in the middle to the upper right part of the abdomen. Among its most serious complications we find the pancreatitis, which consists of the inflammation of the pancreas and that if not quickly treated can cause serious damage to it.
Its extirpation is also carried out When the gallbladder does not work properly, causing -for example- the presence of certain related symptoms, such as indigestion or pain after eating in the middle or upper area of the abdomen.
After removal of the gallbladder
After a gallbladder removal it is very common that doubts arise related to the hospital stay and recovery at home:
- The stay in the hospital: If you have had a laparoscopy in order to remove the gallbladder usually the discharge tends to occur between 1 to 2 days after surgery, since the best results when recovering are achieved especially after a laparoscopic surgery . There are even cases in which the patient returns home the same day. In case of transvaginal / transumbilical surgery, the stay is only 1 day, while if it is an open surgery, the stay in the hospital ranges from 2 to 5 days.
- Recovery at home after surgery: in the case of laparoscopy in most cases people can carry out an activity almost normal between 5 to 7 days after the intervention, and if it is a transvaginal / transumbilical surgery ranges from 5 to 10 days. However, if it was an open surgery, recovery usually takes up to 8 weeks.
Images | Gettyimages / ISTOCKPHOTO / THINKSTOCK This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor. ThemesGallbladder
