Do You Need Gallbladder Removal?

More and more often today, people are having issues with their Gallbladder. Many people experience pain, usually from Gall Stones, and often they end up having their Gallbladder removed via surgery. In fact, more than half a million people have their Gallbladder removed each year, due to a Gallbladder stone problem or other problems.

Part of the problem may be that we, as a people, are more obese than in years before. On of the biggest risk factors for Gall Stones is obesity. Not unrelated, rapid weight loss diets can increase a persons risk for developing Gall Stones. For this and other reasons, females are at a higher risk of Gallbladder problems than are men. This is particularly worrisome since gallbladder symptoms in women can be masked or diminished like heart attack and other thoracic and abdominal issues. In fact, the main risk factors for Gall Stone development are obesity, female, at or over 40 years of age, and premenopausal females.

What Is The Gallbladder?

The Gallbladder is a small organ that lies just below your Liver, to the right of your stomach. It is about 3-3.5 inches long. It holds bile that is produced in the Liver and releases it into the Duodenum, the beginning of the small intestine, on the presence of partially digested fats released from the stomach. This bile then emulsifies the fats to prepare them for digestion and metabolism.

It is believed that the Gallbladder stores higher concentrations of bile when a person has a high fat diet. If that is true, it is easy to see why calcifications, or Gall Stones, form more often in those who eat more fatty foods. It is also understandable that many people who experience Gallbladder stone pain feel it worse after a fatty or greasy meal. When these Gall Stones form, a person is at risk of developing Cholecystitis, (inflamed Gallbladder), Pancreatitis (inflamation of the Pancreas) or other infections.

Signs And Symptoms Of Gallbladder Stones

Gallbladder symptoms in women, in particular, can be masked or different, just like other serious medical issues. Signs for all patients generally include severe upper abdominal pain, more specifically abdominal pain just below the rib cage, below the right breast. This pain is generally constant and in many cases can occur after eating a greasy meal or after eating in general.

Although it sits in proximity to the lower right lung, it generally does not present as lung or right chest pain, however, a Gallbladder symptom can also be mid-back pain or right shoulder pain.

The upper right abdominal pain can be accompanied by Nausea and/or Vomiting, along with sweating or diaphoresis. Also, if the condition progresses without care, a person's skin and eyes can begin to yellow and a fever can occur. These tend to be late signs of the problem.

Reasons To Have Gallbladder Removal Surgery

The two main reasons for Gallbladder removal surgery are Cholecystitis (infection of the Gallbladder), generally caused by Gall Stones in the Gallbladder or one of the ducts to the small intestine, or Gallbladder Cancer. Although Gallbladder cancer is serious and should be taken as such, Cholecystitis is both more prevalent and can cause further damage to the body and even death much more quickly than Gallbladder Cancer.

Although many people have "silent stones" that do not cause pain and generally go unnoticed, once a person begins to experience Gallbladder pain the end result is usually Gallbladder removal. The most definitive reason to have Gallbladder Removal Surgery is that if a person truly has Cholecystitis and allows it to go untreated, the infection will spread to nearby organs, including the small and large intestine. An untreated case will eventually lead to sepsis, shock, and then death. This pathway normally will not go unchanged due to the intense pain that is associated with the Cholecystitis.

Complications Of Gallbladder Removal Surgery

Here lies the definite reasons to not rush to Gallbladder Removal. Although in many cases people have true Cholecystitis and must have removal, others experience mild Gall Stone pain from "silent stones" or have digestive issues that may be related to their bile storage or production. Some of these people struggle with irritable bowels and just want some relief from never knowing when they may have to rush to the bathroom.

For those just looking for digestive relief, you may find quite the opposite from Gallbladder Removal. Especially in the short term after removal, most patients experience very irritable bowels due to unrestricted bile flow to the small intestine. Although this can be controlled somewhat by change in diet, finding the right combination of food can be difficult. Also, if this can be controlled by diet change, it is highly likely that the irritable bowels experienced before removal can be controlled by diet to the same extent.

There is also a small possibility that patients who have had Gallbladder stone issues and have their Gallbladder removed will have issues with scar tissue. When the Gallbladder is removed, the ducts to and from the Gallbladder are severed, stapled, and cauterized. In this process, scar tissue can form and can cause more digestive issues or sensitivity.