June 13, 2011

The digestive system is like a finely tuned machine when all the parts of the body work together in unison. After food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine, the liver produces bile to help digest food. Bile, some of which is stored in the gallbladder, is then released through the cystic duct and into the small intestine. But this part of the digestive system may not always keep humming along. Sometimes small stones called gallstones can form in the gallbladder and block the cystic duct causing severe pain, as well as nausea, vomiting, fever, and infection. There also could be times when the gallbladder may not continue to function properly even though there are no gallstones.

 Did You Know?

The liver makes approximately three cups of bile every day.

The gallbladder is about the size and shape of a pear.

Gallstones can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. The small intestine is 22 to 25 feet long.

 When problems with the gallbladder cannot be treated with antibiotics or through dietary changes, surgery may be necessary to control symptoms. The surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder is called a cholecystectomy. The operation can be performed one of two ways, both of which require general anesthesia. The open method of surgery involves making an incision in the abdomen that is approximately six inches long. The laparoscopic version requires only four small cuts and uses a laparoscope, a small, thin tube with a light on the end that allows the doctor to see inside the body during surgery.

 During laparoscopic surgery, the laparoscope is inserted through an incision made just below the navel. Carbon dioxide gas is pumped into the belly area to lift up the abdomen and give the doctor a better view of the gallbladder and more space to work. Additional surgical instruments are inserted through the other small openings and the gallbladder is removed through one of the incisions. Cuts are then closed with sutures (stitches), staples, or sterile strips. The procedure takes between one to two hours.

The laparoscopic approach to gallbladder removal is more commonly used today because it has numerous health benefits compared to the open method. Patients who undergo laparoscopic gallbladder removal usually have less pain following surgery, recover more quickly, are discharged from the hospital sooner, and experience less scarring. However, the open method may be preferred if the patient has had previous abdominal or gallbladder surgery, tends to bleed easily, or has any underlying health condition that might complicate viewing the gallbladder during the operation. On rare occasions, the surgeon may need to switch from laparoscopic surgery to the traditional method after the operation begins. This occurs in less than one percent of young, healthy patients.

The gallbladder can be removed without negatively affecting the digestive process because most bile produced by the liver goes directly to the small intestine and is not stored in the gallbladder. For more information about laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, talk with your doctor.

For a physician referral please call 1-800-813-4345