Gall bladder is a very important digestive gland, which is located on the right side of your abdomen, just beneath your liver. Its main function is to collect, store and release bile, a digestive fluid produced in your liver, essential for metabolizing fats, into your small intestine.

Sometimes, small hard stones comprising of cholesterol, bile pigments and calcium salts in the shape of a pebble, can form in your gall bladder. Gallstones may cause no symptoms but when the gallstone lodges in ducts and blocks the flow of bile, it can cause persistent high-intensity pain which requires gallstone surgery.

Surgery is then prescribed to remove the gall bladder. This surgery is called cholecystectomy. It s done when there are

Gallstones in the gallbladder
Gallstones in the bile duct
Gallbladder inflammation
Inflammation in pancreas
Gallstone surgery or cholecystectomy is a common surgery, and it comes with only a small risk of complications and you can walk out of the hospital on the day of the surgery itself.

Procedure

Minimally invasive or laparoscopic cholecystectomy
During this procedure, the surgeon makes 4 tiny incisions in your abdomen and inserts a tube with a tiny video camera inside it.
Through a video monitor, the surgeon watches while he inserts surgical tools through the other 3 incisions to remove your gallbladder.
After the surgery, the surgeon confirms that there are no gallstones left. Once this is done, he sutures your incisions and you are taken to the recovery area. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy takes just 2 hours or so.
But the problem with this procedure is that it  not appropriate for everyone. Sometimes, what happens is that, the surgeon may start with a laparoscopic surgery and then may decide to go for an open gallstone surgery because of scar tissue or complications.
Traditional or open cholecystectomy
This procedure requires a bigger incision of about 6-inches in your abdomen, below your ribs on the right side. The liver and gallbladder are exposed and the surgeon removes the gallbladder.
An open cholecystectomy takes one or two hours.
Single-incision Laparoscopy Surgery

Traditional laparoscopic surgeries use a telescopic rod attached to a video camera called a laparoscope, which is inserted through a small incision. Apart from this, 3 to 5 additional small cuts are made to insert the other surgical instruments to perform the surgery.

However, single-incision laparoscopy surgery (SILS) is a revolutionary minimally invasive surgical procedure conducted through a single incision. It provides a better cosmetic outcome, as a small incision is made through the patient s navel or belly button, resulting in an almost scarless outcome.

Indications

Most patients who are good candidates for laparoscopic surgery are eligible for single-port procedures. Some of the surgeries that single incision laparoscopy is indicated for include cholecystectomy (removal of gall bladder), appendectomy (removal of appendix), splenectomy (removal of spleen), hepatectomy (removal of liver) and adrenalectomy (removal of adrenal glands). SILS can also be used for diagnostic purposes.

However, patients who have previously undergone multiple major surgeries to the abdominal region and those who are morbidly obese are not considered for SILS.

Procedure

Single Incision Laparoscopy is usually performed as day surgery either in the hospital or outpatient surgery center under general, regional, or occasionally local anesthesia depending on the type of procedure performed and the surgeon s preference.

The patient is made to lie down in a tilted position so that the feet are placed higher than the head. The surgeon makes a single incision of about 3/4th of an inch at the belly button and injects a harmless gas to expand the area and obtain a clear view of the operative site. A tube called a trocar or port is placed through the incision, through which the laparoscope (a narrow telescope having a light source and camera) and tiny surgical instruments are inserted. The laparoscope guides your surgeon with images of the abdominal contents that can be viewed on a large screen. Once the diseased organ is excised, your surgeon removes the instruments, releases the gas, and closes the incision with a small bandage.

Recovery

Common post-operative guidelines following Single Incision laparoscopy include the following:

You will need someone to drive you home after you are released as the anesthesia may make you feel groggy and tired
Do not remove the dressing over the incision for the first two days and keep the area clean and dry.  No showering or bathing during this time.  The incision usually heals in about 5 days
Your surgeon may give you activity restrictions such as no heavy lifting. It is very important that you follow your surgeon s instructions for a successful recovery
You may feel soreness around the incision area. Your surgeon may give you a prescription pain medicine or recommend NSAID s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for the first few days to keep you comfortable
If the abdomen was distended with gas, you may experience discomfort in the abdomen, chest, or shoulder area for a couple days while the excess gas is being absorbed
Diet

You must be very careful with your diet after gallstone removal as your body will not be able to digest fats well. You will of course be sticking to a liquid diet for a week or two and then introduce solids back into your diet. When you do so, you have to stick to a low fat diet. Stay off fried foods and gas-forming foods. Also make sure that you consume no more than 60 gm of fats per meal to avoid discomfort. Stay off spicy foods to avoid bloats and abdominal pains.

Gallbladder Surgery - Aftercare Tips To Help You Recover Better!

The gallbladder can be found under the liver and is a pear shaped organ. This four inch organ is responsible for storing bile, which is a combination of the various fluids as well as fat and cholesterol. These are essential for the body and its metabolism, as the bile helps in breaking down the food that enters the digestive system. With the help of the gallbladder, this bile divides the food into smaller parts within the intestine. This ensures that the energy released by the food is more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. There are a host of problems that can attack the gall bladder including stones, infection and more.

Let us find out the symptoms of a gallbladder attack and the various ways in which it may be successfully treated.

    Pain: One of the most common symptoms of a gallbladder attack includes pain. This can be felt in the section that lies in the middle and the upper right portion of the abdomen. The patient may initially experience mild pain that comes and goes intermittently. Eventually, if the pain is not treated, it can start to radiate on a constant basis and hold the patient in its grip.
    Nausea: Nausea and vomiting are also common symptoms of any gallbladder related problem. Chronic cases usually end up experiencing these symptoms. Nausea and vomiting in such conditions are a result of digestive problems like acid reflux which can be caused due to the gall bladder condition.
    Fever: If there is an infection in the gall bladder, then the patient may also experience fever and chills. This will require immediate treatment and the prescription of antibiotics. If it is not treated on time, the problem can become serious and dangerous.
    Loose Motions: Diarrhoea is a problem faced by many patients suffering from this condition along with jaundice and lighter coloured stools.

Treatment: Mostly, doctors will recommend surgical methods to deal with gall bladder attacks and conditions. A laparoscopic surgery may be conducted to remove the gallbladder. Also, medication will be prescribed to dissolve the gallstones that may have been caused by cholesterol. The patient will also have to undertake many lifestyle changes in order to successfully treat this condition over a period of time.

One will have to avoid greasy and oily food. Also, the fat intake of the patient will have to be reduced so that the cholesterol build up does not affect the gallbladder again. The patient will also have to add fibre to his or her daily diet, in the form of fruit and oats. This will help in improving the bowel movements as well.

The Symptoms and Treatment of Gallbladder Attack

It is an extremely embarrassing situation to have a bladder leakage. Social life could be altered, with reduced socialising for fear of losing control in the presence of others. Though not discussed frankly, it is an extremely common issue and about 25 million people in the United States suffer from this, with 75% of these being women.

Treatment depends on the type of incontinence, such as stress, urge, overflow, functional, or mixed. It starts with least invasive methods like lifestyle changes moving over to surgical approaches.

Ways to manage it

With trips to the toilet increasing considerably when you have urinary incontinence, simple measures can help manage leakage.

Bladder training: Train your bladder to control the urge for another 10 minutes. This happens by voluntarily contracting the muscles and holding up the urge to go to the toilet. Gradually, it will help increase the frequency of the visit to 4 to 6 hours.
Scheduled toilet trips: Whether or not there is an urge, visit the toilet every 4 to 6 hours.
Double emptying: Even after you have voided, force yourself to void one more time. The residual urine, which is almost always present in the bladder, also gets emptied.
Food/diet modifications: Stress incontinence is worsened by alcohol, spicy foods, acidic foods, and caffeine. Avoiding these can help reduce bladder leakage.
Kegel exercises: The simple repetition of contracting the pelvic floor muscles, holding it in place, and releasing it can do wonders for strengthening the pelvic floor. This can be done anywhere and any time of the day and is very effective for improving bladder control.
Catheters: These can be used if the incontinence is short-lived; the person would need to learn how to safely insert and remove it.
Absorbent pads and medical devices: The absorbent pads are helpful in preventing embarrassment during social situations. On the other hand, medical devices like pessary are inserted into the vagina to support the bladder neck and thereby prevent leakage from the bladder.
Drugs: Anticholinergics/antimuscarinics are useful to control a leaking bladder. Botox injections can help paralyse the overactive bladder muscles and provide a solution. Topical oestrogen may be used in small amounts to improve tone and reduce incontinence. Alpha blockers are also used in some people with good results. There are muscles that relax the bladder and increase the amount of urine it can contain.
Surgery: In the event that all these measures are not useful, surgical correction is possible. Sling procedure where an artificial mesh is used to support the urethra. Bladder neck suspension is where the bladder neck is given support to prevent leakage. If there is a pelvic organ prolapse, that is corrected to rectify the bladder leakage.

 Bladder Leakage - Solutions To Help You Manage It!

The gallbladder is a small organ in the abdomen that rarely gets any attention. When it does draw attention to itself, it is usually not for the right reasons. People think of their gallbladder only when they start feeling abdominal pain associated with gallstones. Gallstones aren t stones like we see in river beds but crystallized deposits of digestive fluids. They can be as small a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Stones can occur singularly or many stones may develop simultaneously. It can cause pain in the center or upper right part of the abdomen. Though the pain may be bad, it is not a reason to worry as homeopathy has a number of ways to treat this condition.

Homeopathy is a holistic form of healing that addresses the patient as a whole instead of merely looking at the symptoms exhibited. In this way, it attacks the root cause of the problem. Homeopathic remedies may be given to infants, children and adults of all ages. One of the many benefits of this form of medication is that it has negligible side effects. However, self-medication is not advisable. This is because a remedy that suits one person may not be as effective for another. When prescribing homeopathic remedies, a doctor will look into the patient s medical history, family history, overall physical and mental health, as well as the symptoms, were seen. Thus, homeopathy does not follow a one size fits all approach. For example, an obese person will require a specific type of homeopathic medicine. At the same time, a patient complaining of acidity and a bloated abdomen will require a completely different remedy.

There are many different types of homeopathic remedies. These can be prescribed in the form of sugar-coated pills or liquids. In some cases, powders may also be prescribed. Homeopathic medicines may be prescribed singularly or in a combination of two to three medicines. The main aim of these homeopathic remedies is to reduce the size of the gallstone so that it can pass through the digestive system and be expelled from the body. It also helps relieve pain and reduce flatulence associated with gallstones.

When it comes to homeopathic remedies, one must not expect an immediate solution. It is important to be patient and to take your medication regularly for it to be effective. It is also important not to eat or drink anything half an hour before or after taking the medicines. 

Treating Gallstones With Homeopathic Approach!

Are you experiencing a sudden pain in the right upper part and at the center of your abdomen? This might be an indication of the presence of gallbladder stones. These stones are deposits of digestive fluid which may form in your gallbladder.

Risk Factors Associated With Gall Stones:

Family history of gallstones

Women are twice as likely as men to develop gallstones

Overweight

High cholesterol

High-fat diet

Rapid weight loss

Over age 60

In the case of gallbladder stones, you need to dissolve and remove them. Among the different modes of treatment of gallbladder stones, homeopathy is considered to be an ideal method.

Homeopathy successfully dissolves small and medium-sized gallstones and help you avoid the gallbladder removal. Homeopathy also provides fast pain relief in gallbladder attacks and can be used for prevention and treatment of biliary colic. The medicines are natural, effective and have no side effects. In patients with gallbladder removal homeopathy can alleviate the digestive disorders after surgery. Here is a list of the top homeopathic medicines, which help in dissolving and removing gallbladder stones:

Chelidonium: This is an effective homeopathic medicine used in the treatment of gallbladder stones. It treats the pain caused because of the stones and jaundice when the bile ducts are obstructed. The medicine is used when the skin turns yellowish, stool turns clay colored and the urine becomes dark. The patient may have an urge for having hot drinks. This medicine is also ideal for gall bladder problems in women during pregnancy.

Lycopodium: This medicine is the best natural cure for gall bladder stones when accompanied by gastric symptoms such as acidity, a bloated abdomen, or gas in the abdomen. Distension in the abdomen may occur even after taking a small meal. Gas rolls in the abdomen and it is difficult for it to pass out. Acidity is likely, which worsens after taking flatulent food containing starch. The patient s appetite may decrease and the craving for sweet and hot drinks increases.

Calcerea Carb: This is another effective homeopathic medicine for gallbladder stones. It is mostly used in case of obese patients who have a flabby and fatty constitution. The abdomen is full of excess fat with hardness and distension. Profuse sweating on the head and an increased sensitivity to cold air are other symptoms. The patient might crave for boiled eggs or unusual things such as lime, chalk and pencils. He may avoid hot food and crave for sweet drinks. The medicine is also used in relieving sour belching and sour vomiting.

Carduus Marianus: This is a very effective medicine in case of an inflamed gallbladder. Pain is experienced in the right upper abdomen and it is also accompanied by nausea and vomiting of burning fluid. It treats jaundice in gall stones as well.

Phosphorus: This homeopathic medicine is used in case of gall bladder stone patients who experience sour belching and vomiting after any meal. The patient will love cold drinks, chicken, ice cream and fish in his diet.

Homeopathic medicines treat gallbladder stones effectively without any side effects. In case you notice the symptoms of gallbladder stones, you should consult a homeopathic practitioner.

Can Homeopathy Help In Dissolving And Removing Gallbladder Stones?

A laparoscopic cholecystectomy may sound like a very complex medical procedure. Well, that should not come as a surprise because that is pretty much what it is. In any case, however, would it not be more than a little interesting to get to know more about this complex sounding procedure?

The cholecystectomy is required when there is a need to remove the gallbladder. When it comes to the surgery itself, there are two options from which a person can choose, in consultation with the doctor. There is the traditional sort and there is the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The traditional way of performing the surgery requires that there is a cut made along the right side of the person s body, from which the surgeon removes the gallbladder.

When a person goes for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there is no need for a long cut of the body or anything of that sort! In its stead, there are a few very small incisions which are made of the abdomen of the patient and even a video camera is inserted through one of these incisions!

The use that is served by the camera is that it provides the surgeon with the view required inside the abdomen to perform the surgery without having to cut open much of the abdomen. Using the tools at his or her disposal, the surgeon can perform the same operation. Now, does that sound seem to be a lot better?

One of the great advantages about the laparoscopic cholecystectomy as compared to an open cholecystectomy is the fact that the recovery time is so much shorter! While the open surgery takes about an hour or two for the procedure itself and generally two to three whole days after it to recover, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy means that the patient can generally go home the same day, after spending about just ten hours at the hospital! That being said, in some cases, the doctors recommend that a night is spent at the hospital so that everything is stable.

Taking this into consideration, the time it takes for a person to get back to normal and do anything and everything that he or she wants is a lot less when the surgery was of the laparoscopic variety. Care needs to be taken though, but within a week to ten days, everything should be just fine.

Pain in the gallbladder, unfortunately, affects some people, but laparoscopic is the way to go!

Gallbladder Removal Surgery - Tips To Help You Recover!

Don't wait any longer, manage your Gallbladder Disease online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Gallbladder Disease - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES