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Gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ attached to the under surface of the liver. Its main function is to collect and store bile (a digestive liquid) produced by the liver. After eating, the gallbladder contracts and releases the bile. The bile is carried via a small tube called the cystic duct and then larger tubes called bile ducts into the small intestine where it helps in the digestion.
Gallstones are solid clumps of cholesterol or pigment material that form in the gallbladder. When the concentration of bile components like cholesterol or bile pigments increases, they precipitate to form solid crystals. These crystals then stick together and form gallstones.
You may need gallbladder removal surgery if you have pain or other symptoms from gallstones. You may also need it if your gallbladder is not working normally.
Common symptoms may include:
• Indigestion
• Pain after eating, usually in the upper right or upper middle area of your belly (epigastric pain)
• Nausea and vomiting
Imaging tests used to diagnose gallbladder problems include:
• An ultrasound. This is the most commonly used of the diagnostic tests for gallbladder problems. While very effective in diagnosing even very small gallstones, it can’t always clearly diagnose cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder).
• X-rays. An abdominal X-ray can spot gas and some types of gallstones containing calcium. Some X-ray types require that a patient swallow a dye or have dye injected into the body so the X-ray can capture a clearer picture of the gallbladder.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan. This imaging test uses a computer and X-rays to spot gallbladder problems, but isn’t the most effective method of diagnosing gallstones. CT scans can help spot ruptures (tears in the gallbladder wall) and infections inside the gallbladder or its bile ducts.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) . Regular MRI, or another type called magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC), can help diagnose stones in the bile ducts. MRC uses regular MRI imaging technology plus a dye administered into the bile duct. This test is very useful for diagnosing biliary tract (gallbladder and surrounding ducts) cancer, but may not be able to spot tiny stones or persistent infections.
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) . This test uses an endoscope (a tube fitted with a tiny camera and light) that is inserted into the throat, down through the stomach, and into the small intestine. This test can help spot gallstones or problems in the bile ducts of the gallbladder — it’s considered the “gold standard” when it comes to diagnosing stones blocking bile ducts, and allows for removal (using a small basket-like device) during the test.
• Cholescintigraphy (also called DISIDA, HIDA scan, or gallbladder radionuclide scan). A small amount of radioactive dye is administered, and then a scanning device is used to track the dye as it moves into the gallbladder. This screening method can spot a blocked duct and acute inflammation, but not chronic gallbladder inflammation or gallstones.
• A blood test may also be performed to help diagnose gallbladder disease. A complete blood count, or CBC, can help confirm an infection if there is a high white blood cell count.
• Urine tests may also be performed to help diagnose problems with the gallbladder by looking for abnormal levels of chemicals like amylase, which is an enzyme that aids in the digestion of carbohydrates, and lipase, another enzyme that helps break down fats.
There are two main ways of removing a gallbladder.
Laparoscopic (keyhole) cholecystectomy: This is the most common type of operation to remove your gallbladder. It involves using a tiny camera and surgical instruments that are inserted through small cuts (incisions) in your abdomen.
Open cholecystectomy: In open cholecystectomy, the gallbladder is removed through one large incision in your abdomen. This technique is called open surgery. It is a more invasive operation than keyhole surgery. You need to be in hospital for longer and it takes longer to recover.
Open surgery is now usually only used if there are medical reasons why laparoscopic cholecystectomy cannot be safely performed, or if the surgeon decides that it would be safer to switch to open surgery during the procedure (this is known as conversion).
Both techniques are usually carried out under a general anaesthetic, so the person having the operation is asleep during surgery and will feel no pain.
The gallbladder surgery in India is both convenient and cost-effective. India is the only country in the world where a patient can avail the best treatment at 10-30% of the cost of the same procedure in US or any other developed country. The best trained surgeons are available in all the hospitals in India.
Note:- Cost of Gallbladder Surgery in India at Best Hospitals in India , above include stay in a Private Room for specific number of days where a companion can stay with the patient, surgeon fee, medicines and consumables, nursing care and food for the patient. More accurate treatment cost estimates can be provided if medical reports are emailed to us or after the patient is examined by doctors after arrival in India and medical tests are done.
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