Gallbladder Treatment in Bhubaneswar
The gallbladder is a small organ beneath the liver that stores bile, a fluid that helps digest fats. Gallstones are a common cause of gallbladder problems and may lead to pain, nausea or complications in some people. Gallstones that cause no symptoms often do not require treatment, while symptomatic stones may need surgical assessment. This page explains common gallbladder conditions, their symptoms, diagnostic tests, treatment options and recovery after surgery.
Gallbladder conditions
- Gallstones: Hardened deposits that form in the gallbladder from substances in bile such as cholesterol or bilirubin.
- Acute cholecystitis: Sudden inflammation of the gallbladder, usually because a stone blocks its outlet.
- Chronic cholecystitis: Repeated inflammation that can scar the gallbladder and weaken its function.
- Gallbladder polyps: Small growths on the gallbladder wall. Most are harmless, but the decision to monitor or operate depends on their size, how they change and your age and symptoms.
- Stones in the bile duct (choledocholithiasis): Stones that move out of the gallbladder into the bile duct, which can cause jaundice, infection or pancreatitis.
- Gallstone pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas triggered by a gallstone.
- Serious complications: Pus collecting in the gallbladder (empyema) or rupture of the gallbladder wall are emergencies.
Symptoms of gallbladder disease
- Pain in the upper right abdomen or in the centre of the upper abdomen, which may spread to the right shoulder or back
- Pain that comes on after fatty meals and lasts from minutes to hours
- Nausea or vomiting
- Indigestion, bloating or discomfort after meals
- Fever or chills
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice), dark urine or pale stools
Some people have gallstones found on an ultrasound done for another reason and have no symptoms at all.
Seek urgent medical care if
- Pain is severe and lasts for several hours
- Pain comes with fever or chills
- You develop jaundice
- You are vomiting repeatedly or cannot keep fluids down
When to see a surgeon
Consider a surgical opinion if you have repeated pain that could be from the gallbladder, gallstones or polyps found on a scan, or have had an attack of gallbladder inflammation or pancreatitis. If your gallstones were found by chance and you have no symptoms, a doctor can advise whether any treatment is needed.
How gallbladder problems are diagnosed
At the consultation, the doctor asks about your symptoms and examines you. The usual first test is an ultrasound of the abdomen. Depending on the findings, you may also need blood tests including liver function tests, a CT scan, or an MRI scan of the bile ducts (MRCP) to check for stones in the bile duct. Not every patient needs every test.
Treatment options
Observation and diet. If gallstones cause no symptoms, treatment is generally not needed and you are watched. In patients with mild symptoms, smaller and lower-fat meals may help, but these measures do not remove the stones.
Medicines. Medicines can relieve pain or treat infection during an attack. Tablets that dissolve some types of stones are used only in selected patients, work slowly, and stones can form again, so they are not a reliable replacement for surgery in most people with symptoms.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Removal of the gallbladder is commonly recommended when gallstones cause symptoms or certain complications. The operation is often performed using a laparoscopic technique, which involves small cuts and a camera. The appropriate approach depends on the patient’s condition and the surgeon’s assessment.
Open cholecystectomy. Open surgery through a larger cut may be needed when there is severe inflammation, scarring from earlier operations, or when the keyhole method cannot be completed safely. Sometimes the plan is changed to open surgery during the operation for safety.
What happens on the day of surgery
Before the operation you will be asked to fast, and you will be seen by the anaesthesia team. Gallbladder surgery is usually done under general anaesthesia. In the keyhole method, a few small cuts are made, a camera is placed through one of them, and the gallbladder is carefully separated from the surrounding structures and taken out. The cuts are then closed with stitches or surgical glue. After the operation you are watched in a recovery area, and the team decides whether you go home the same day or stay in hospital. The length of the operation depends on the condition and how complex the case is.
Recovery and aftercare
Recovery depends on the type of operation, how inflamed the gallbladder was and your general health. In general:
- Walk early, as advised by your surgeon
- Take medicines as prescribed and keep the wounds clean and dry
- Start with light meals and return to your normal diet gradually
- Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous work until your surgeon says it is safe
- Return for your follow-up visits
- Contact your doctor if you develop fever, increasing abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, yellowing of the eyes or skin, or wound redness or discharge
You may feel some shoulder-tip pain or bloating for a day or two after keyhole surgery from the gas used in the operation. Your surgeon will tell you when you can return to work and normal activity.
Living without a gallbladder
Most people digest food normally after the gallbladder is removed, because the liver continues to make bile. Some people have loose stools or indigestion for a period, especially after fatty meals, and these usually settle. If digestive symptoms continue, tell your doctor.
Risks and possible complications
Gallbladder removal is one of the most commonly performed operations, but all operations have risks. These can include:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Leakage of bile
- Injury to the bile ducts or nearby organs (uncommon but serious)
- Stones left behind in the bile duct
- Blood clots
- Reactions to anaesthesia
- Conversion to open surgery when needed for safety
Your surgeon will explain the risks that apply to you and ask for your written consent before surgery.
FAQs
Gallstones form when substances in bile, such as cholesterol or bilirubin, harden into stones. Being overweight, rapid weight loss, pregnancy, family history, age and being female can raise the chance, and sometimes there is no clear cause.
No. Stones that cause no symptoms often need no treatment. Surgery is usually advised when stones cause repeated pain, inflammation, jaundice or pancreatitis.
Medicines can dissolve certain types of stones in selected patients, but this is slow, does not suit most people, and stones can come back. Your doctor will advise whether it is an option for you.
It is a commonly performed operation, but every operation carries risks, including bleeding, infection and, uncommonly, injury to the bile ducts. Your surgeon will explain the risks for you before the operation.
It depends on the type of operation, the condition of the gallbladder and your general health. Your surgeon will give you an estimate for your own case.
Yes, most people do. Some have loose stools or indigestion for a while, which usually settles.
Start with light meals and return to your usual diet gradually, as your surgeon advises. Some people find that very fatty meals cause discomfort at first.
Stones that cause no symptoms may never cause trouble. Stones that cause symptoms can lead to repeated attacks and, in some people, to gallbladder inflammation, stones in the bile duct, jaundice or pancreatitis, so they should be assessed by a doctor.
Some pain is expected after any operation. Pain relief is planned for each patient, and keyhole surgery often causes less wound pain than open surgery, though this varies.
Seek urgent care for severe pain that lasts for hours, pain with fever or chills, yellowing of the eyes or skin, or repeated vomiting.