San Diego Colon and Rectal Surgeons

Gallbladder Disease

Gallbladder Disease is one of the most common disorders of the intestinal tract. Symptoms attributable to gall stones (cholelithiasis ) result in gallbladder removal in more than 500,000 Americans each year. Gall stones result from a diseased gallbladder's inability to properly process bile. Gall stones can block the passageway (duct) that leads from the gallbladder. This causes patients to experience indigestion, bloating , belching and abdominal discomfort after eating. These symptoms are usually most striking after a fatty meal. In extreme situations, gallbladder inflammation and infection (acute cholecystitis ) can occur. Patients with acute cholecystitis usually complain of severe pain in the right upper portion of the abdomen associated with nausea, vomiting and fever. In the past the surgical treatment of gall stones required a major abdominal operation associated with a hospitalization of 5-7 days and a 4-6 week period of recuperation. A revolutionary change took place in the late 1980's with the development of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy . Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy accomplishes removal of the gallbladder without the need for major surgery. Four cylindrical tubes (ports) are inserted into the abdominal cavity through very small incisions made in the abdominal wall. Instruments are inserted through the ports and are used to detach the gallbladder from its connections to the liver. The gall bladder is placed in a sterile bag and removed from one of the port sites. Patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy are usually admitted to the hospital on the morning of their surgery. The length of the operation is an hour or less. Discharge usually occurs on the morning after surgery and most patients are able to resume all of their normal activities within 7-10 days.

 

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