The gallbladder is a small pouch that sits just under the liver. The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver. After meals, the gallbladder is empty and flat, like a deflated balloon. Before a meal, it may be full of bile and about the size of a small pear. You can find a diagram picture at www.webmd.com
In response to signals, the gallbladder squeezes stored bile into the small intestine through a series of tubes called ducts. Bile helps digest fats, but the gallbladder itself is not essential. Removing the gallbladder in an otherwise healthy individual typically causes no observable problems with health or digestion yet there may be a small risk of diarrhoea and fat malabsorption.
Common Gallbladder conditions are:
•Gallstones (cholelithiasis): For unclear reasons, substances in bile can crystallize in the gallbladder, forming gallstones. Common and usually harmless, gallstones can sometimes cause pain, nausea, or inflammation.
•Cholecystitis: Inflammation of the gallbladder, often due to a gallstone in the gallbladder. Cholecystitis causes severe pain and fever,
•Gallbladder cancer: Although rare, cancer can affect the gallbladder. It is difficult to diagnose and usually found at late stages when symptoms appear. Symptoms may resemble those of gallstones.
•Gallstone pancreatitis: An impacted gallstone blocks the ducts that drain the pancreas. Inflammation of the pancreas results, a serious condition.
Gallbladder treatments include:
•Gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy): A surgeon removes the gallbladder, using either laparoscopy (several small cuts) or laparotomy (traditional ’open’ surgery with a larger incision).
•Antibiotics: Infection may be present during cholecystitis. Though antibiotics do not typically cure cholecystitis, they can prevent an infection from spreading.
•Chemotherapy and radiation therapy: After surgery for gallbladder cancer, chemotherapy and radiation may be used to help prevent cancer from returning.
•Ursodeoxycholic acid: It may help dissolve small cholesterol gallstones and reduce symptoms.
In response to signals, the gallbladder squeezes stored bile into the small intestine through a series of tubes called ducts. Bile helps digest fats, but the gallbladder itself is not essential. Removing the gallbladder in an otherwise healthy individual typically causes no observable problems with health or digestion yet there may be a small risk of diarrhoea and fat malabsorption.
Common Gallbladder conditions are:
•Gallstones (cholelithiasis): For unclear reasons, substances in bile can crystallize in the gallbladder, forming gallstones. Common and usually harmless, gallstones can sometimes cause pain, nausea, or inflammation.
•Cholecystitis: Inflammation of the gallbladder, often due to a gallstone in the gallbladder. Cholecystitis causes severe pain and fever,
•Gallbladder cancer: Although rare, cancer can affect the gallbladder. It is difficult to diagnose and usually found at late stages when symptoms appear. Symptoms may resemble those of gallstones.
•Gallstone pancreatitis: An impacted gallstone blocks the ducts that drain the pancreas. Inflammation of the pancreas results, a serious condition.
Gallbladder treatments include:
•Gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy): A surgeon removes the gallbladder, using either laparoscopy (several small cuts) or laparotomy (traditional ’open’ surgery with a larger incision).
•Antibiotics: Infection may be present during cholecystitis. Though antibiotics do not typically cure cholecystitis, they can prevent an infection from spreading.
•Chemotherapy and radiation therapy: After surgery for gallbladder cancer, chemotherapy and radiation may be used to help prevent cancer from returning.
•Ursodeoxycholic acid: It may help dissolve small cholesterol gallstones and reduce symptoms.
