Your Ultimate Guide to Gallbladder Health

Gallbladder disease: symptoms, treatment, and management

An estimated 20 million people in the US have gallbladder disease. The incidence increases with age and is more prevalent in women than in men. The best way to address the symptoms of gallstones and gallbladder disease is by taking the time to learn more about your gallbladder health. This comprehensive guide is an overview of gallbladder diseases, types, symptoms, treatments, and tips to maintaining a healthy gallbladder.

What is a gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a sac-like and pear-shaped organ located under the liver. The gallbladder stores bile, and when a person eats a meal, the gallbladder deflates and releases the bile into the intestine for active absorption of fats.

What is gallbladder disease?

Gallbladder disease is commonly prevalent in developed countries. It involves chronic inflammation within the walls, stones formation, cholesterol, and other lipid depositions, eventually leading to a gallbladder blockage.

What treatment options are available?

Depending on the severity of gallbladder disease and patients’ history, a doctor may advise different treatment options on a case by case basis. For patients suffering from the large gallstones, various calcium-containing gallstone stones, chronic cholecystitis, and gallbladder cancer, a surgeon usually recommends removing the gallbladder after ruling out other possible treatment regimens.

Gallbladder Removal Surgery

Your physician will aim to provide symptomatic treatment of the disease and reduce the inflammation inside the gallbladder. The initial steps involve: May require to stop certain medications as per the surgeon’s advice. 2. Antibiotics preoperatively. Fasting night before the surgery as directed by the doctor. Intravenous fluid intake to minimize dehydration.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy:

It is a non-invasive procedure involving a series of shock waves to break down the stones into small pieces that can easily pass through the urinary tract and leave the body, given that the gallstones are small.

How to live a healthy life without a gallbladder?

Fortunately, you can live a perfectly healthy life without a gallbladder. However, it’s still important to follow a balanced diet and to exercise regularly. After a cholecystectomy, the liver can still make enough bile to continuously drain into the intestine to digest and absorb fats. Follow the diet plan advised by your doctor to avoid post-cholecystectomy syndrome, which involves diarrhea, bloating, and fever. Luckily, you don’t need to follow this for long as the complications may disappear within weeks.