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Last Updated: Oct 23, 2019
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Gallstone Surgery - Possible Complications That Can Occur!

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Dr. Deepti ThakkarGeneral Surgeon • 18 Years Exp.MBBS, DNB - General Surgery
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Gall stones are stones formed in the gall bladder. The gall bladder is a small pouch like organ which is just under the liver. Its function is to store bile produced by the liver and send it to intestines for digestion. Stones form in the gall bladder due to various reasons such as Obesity, rapid weight loss, intestinal bypass surgery, infections by worms, hereditary conditions etc. The most common stones are cholesterol stones. 

Symptoms: 
Gall stones sometimes may not cause any symptoms. Sometimes they can block gall bladder duct and cause infection called as cholecystitis. They can cause inflammation in the pancreas called pancreatitis.They can block bile ducts and cause jaundice. This may require removal of the gallbladder through surgery, known as cholecystectomy, which is commonly performed with Laparoscopy i.e Key hole surgery. Gall bladder performs the function of storing bile. Hence its removal does not cause any major change in digestion. Bile production in liver is not affected by gall bladder surgery. 

Procedure of surgery: 
The surgery involves removal of gallbladder and gallstones through small incisions in the abdomen. In order to see clearly, the surgeon inflates the abdomen with air or carbon dioxide. A lighted scope attached to a video camera is inserted into one incision near the belly button. The video monitor is used as a guide for inserting other surgical instruments into the other incisions to remove the gallbladder. The gall bladder is removed with the stones and sent for pathology testing. 

Medical factors to consider before cholecystectomy: 
The most important factor is a consideration of your medical history. This is because the pre-existing conditions such as Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems etc influence decisions on surgery and anaesthesia

Self-care after the surgery: 
With laparoscopy, the recovery is very fast. Patient can walk on the same day and can join work in 2-3 days. Pain is very less as there are no big cuts. Heavy lifting and high fatty and spicy food should be avoided for a few weeks after surgery. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

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