Dr Manish Agarwal

Gallbladder and biliary tract surgery

Gallstones are pieces of solid material that form in the gallbladder. Gallstones form when substances in the bile, primarily cholesterol and bile pigments, form hard, crystal-like particles.

 

Cholesterol stones are usually white or yellow in color and account for about 80 percent of gallstones. They are made primarily of cholesterol.Pigment stones are small, dark stones made of bilirubin and calcium salts that are found in bile. They account for the other 20 percent of gallstones. Risk factors for pigment stones include cirrhosis, biliary tract infections, and hereditary blood cell disorders, such as sickle cell anemia.Gallstones vary in size and may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. The gallbladder may develop a single, often large, stone or many smaller ones, even several thousand.

 

Cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy (koh-luh-sis-TEK-tuh-me) is a surgical procedure to remove your gallbladder — a pear-shaped organ that sits just below your liver on the upper right side of your abdomen. Your gallbladder collects and stores bile — a digestive fluid produced in your liver.

 

Cholecystectomy may be necessary if you experience pain from gallstones that block the flow of bile. Cholecystectomy is a common surgery, and it carries only a small risk of complications. In most cases, you can go home the same day of your cholecystectomy.

 

Cholecystectomy is most commonly performed by inserting a tiny video camera and special surgical tools through four small incisions to see inside your abdomen and remove the gallbladder. Doctors call this laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In some cases, one large incision may be used to remove the gallbladder. This is called an open cholecystectomy.

 

Cholangiography is an examination that uses X-rays and contrast medium (dye) to view your bile ducts. It is often used to see if the bile ducts are blocked, such as in obstructive jaundice, where the bile is blocked from flowing into the duodenum and spills into the blood. Obstructive jaundice can be caused by gallstones blocking the bile ducts

 

In the procedure, the contrast medium is injected into the body and a series of X-rays taken to reveal any gallstones, other obstructions or narrowing in the bile ducts.

 

Common Bile duct exploration

The CBD is a tube connecting the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas to the small intestine that helps deliver fluid to aid in digestion.

 

The CBD exploration is a procedure used to see if a stone or some obstruction is blocking the flow of bile from your liver and gallbladder to your intestine.If a stone or obstruction is blocking the CBD, bile can back up into the liver causing jaundice. Jaundice is when the skin and white of the eyes become yellow.The CBD might become infected and require emergency surgery if the stone or blockage is not removed. This procedure can be done during the removal of the gall bladder

 

An alternative would be an ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram) or not having treatment. You should discuss these options with your doctor.