Stones in the gallbladder statistically appear much more often (up to 3 times) in women than in men. The disease can be asymptomatic for a long time. It happens that unexpectedly and suddenly there is a very strong abdominal pain.
Stones in the gallbladder : symptoms
The main symptom of stones in the gallbladder is severe and acute abdominal pain. This is biliary colic. The pain associated with it usually begins after heavy, fatty meals or after greater physical exertion. It is felt in the upper abdomen and radiates all the way to the right shoulder blade.
It is accompanied by nausea and a feeling of bitterness in the mouth. Most often, the pain disappears spontaneously, only to return after some time (even after a few months) as unexpectedly as it appeared.
What should be done in case of an attack of biliary colic?
It helps to apply a spasmodic agent (No-spa, Buscopan) and apply a warm hot water bottle.
For some time (2-4 weeks) after each meal, it is worth taking preparations supporting the secretion of bile (eg Cholestil, Artecholin, Cholitol).
When colic attacks recur, you should always contact your family doctor. He usually orders an abdominal ultrasound examination and on its basis decides on further proceedings. Most often, he proposes to remove the entire follicle along with the stones in it.
Causes Stones in the gallbladder
They are much more common in women. It has to do with female hormones. Progesterone weakens the contractility of the gallbladder and makes it difficult to remove bile from the bile ducts. In turn, estrogen causes bile to thicken. In addition, stones in the gallbladder are also much more common in women over 40 years of age.
Other factors that favor the development of stones in the gallbladder:
- overweight and obesity,
- genetic burden
- diabetes,
- use of hormonal contraception,
- liver failure
- hormonal disorders
- short bowel syndrome
- restrictive diets leading to large weight loss
Treatment of stones in the gallbladder
At the moment, in most cases, the gallbladder is excised using the laparoscopy method. What is the operation?
The doctor places three tubes in the navel and in two small incisions (in the upper part of the epigastric region and on the right side of the trunk, just below the ribs).
He introduces through them the tips of surgical instruments and a telescope with optical fiber, illuminating the field of view and transmitting the image to the monitor.
It excises the entire gallbladder. The treatment takes about 30-40 minutes. Importantly, there are very few contraindications to carry out such an operation. This method is not used only in women in the first trimester of pregnancy, people with cirrhosis of the liver. What is very important, the patient’s carcass does not matter here, which in the case of traditional surgery was a big problem.
After 24 hours after the end of the operation, you can return home, and after a few days to normal activities
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