What is a gallbladder? How does it work in the body?
The gallbladder is responsible for collecting and storing body fluids, helping digest food, and laparoscopic surgery to remove the gallbladder.
The gallbladder is a small organ at the top of the trunk, and about the function of this organ in the body, it should be said that it collects and stores all body fluids and helps digestion, and sometimes solid foods may become in the body. To stone that this happens to many people.
Suppose these gallstones cause a problem in your health. In that case, your doctors will operate on you and remove the gallbladder; for example, if you have experienced gallbladder pain for a long time or the organ is not working correctly, and You will need surgery. Doctors make a deep incision to remove this organ, which is called open surgery. Nowadays, doctors can perform this surgery with small tools and equipment and small incisions called this type of laparoscopy. You should know that this surgery is usually shallow.
What causes gallbladder problems?
Gallstones are usually the main problem of the gallbladder, which can cause problems with digestion.
If you have the following conditions, you are more prone to gallstones:
- Have severe weight loss
- Some medications, such as birth control pills or some fat-reducing medications
- You have given birth.
- Be overweight.
- Be over 40 years old.
- Increased bile fat
- Long-term fasting is another essential factor.
Gallstones can also be inherited, and doctors have not yet identified a specific way to prevent them.
Reason for gallbladder removal:
Bile secretions are a collection of fats, bile salts, and some liver wastes that accumulate and lead to gallstones’ formation, leading to obstruction of the bile ducts and eventually inflammation of the gallbladder. Removal of this organ is treatable.
What are the symptoms of gallbladder problems?
These symptoms include the following:
- Severe abdominal pain
- nausea and vomiting
- Indigestion of food in the body
- Fever
- Jaundice in which the skin and eyes turn yellow. Jaundice usually occurs when stones block the bile duct.
How do gynecologists diagnose bile problems?
Doctors usually use an ultrasound that you are fully awake during this test and will not harm you.
If more tests are needed, they use a CT scan or a HIDA scan, in which HIDA scans are done by injecting dye into the body, which clearly shows gallbladder problems.
How do doctors treat gallbladder problems?
Gallbladder removal is usually the best way to get rid of the problems, and you may be asked to change your diet for a while; for example, eating less fat will help you, but it is rarely possible to get rid of it. The stones exist by themselves.
You may have heard of gallbladder crushers that can meet them, but unfortunately, they have not yet reached the proper operation stage.
What are the benefits of laparoscopic gallbladder surgery?
- Smaller incisions are less than 2.5 inches in length, but the incision is 12 to 17 cm in open surgery.
- Less pain after surgery
- Faster recovery: You can smoothly go home a few days after surgery and quickly return to your daily routine.
Some Common Questions About Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery
Is Gallbladder Removal a Good Option?
This surgery is usually the right choice because it is the most common surgery type to treat gallbladder problems. If you have the following conditions, it is best not to have gallbladder surgery:
- Gallbladder problems are severe.
- You have already had surgery on your upper abdomen.
In any case, the final opinion is with a specialist doctor.
How to prepare for laparoscopic gallbladder surgery?
You have already completed the tests, and you should be tested to make sure you are in perfect health.
The surgeon will first talk to you about the risks and benefits of this surgery and then consult with you to see if you are satisfied with the operation.
There are pre-laparoscopic gallbladder procedures that we will mention in this section:
- Take a shower the night before surgery or the morning of surgery: Your doctor may ask you to use antibiotic soap.
- Avoid eating and drinking as directed by your doctor.
- On the morning of surgery, you will be told what medications you can take and what medications you should not take.
- You may be asked not to take certain medications before surgery, which usually include blood thinners, supplements, and immunosuppressants.
- You also need someone to take you to the hospital and stay with you the night after the operation. Ask your doctor how much you need help from others.
How is the gallbladder removed laparoscopically?
General anesthesia is sufficient for this surgery, which means that you are completely asleep during the surgery. When the surgery is over, the incisions are sutured, or adhesive may be used.
While under anesthesia, the doctor makes an incision near the navel and places a small device in the area that fills the abdomen with gas, thus opening up the operating space and then inserting a small surgical camera into the area. It puts. This camera shows the inside of the body and the gallbladder on the operating room monitor, and then more devices and equipment enter the screen through this hole. Finally, the connection of the gallbladder is cut from your abdomen. This surgery requires three to four small incisions, which is more for some people.
Your doctor may use a surgical robot. This robot does the same thing, except that the doctor does not have to work hard to insert the devices. This is called robotic surgery.
Some types of these surgeries are performed with the help of X-rays. The job of X-rays is to find gallstones, and if they have gallstones, the process of removing them or the gallbladder itself is done.
It is essential to ensure the knowledge and experience of the doctor.
What if we can not remove the gallbladder through laparoscopy?
Some people can not do this. In these cases, it is better to use open surgery. Reasons for changing the surgical method can be the following:
- The gallbladder is damaged, and there are many sores and inflammations.
- In the first stage of surgery, scar tissue forms inside your abdomen
- You are obese and overweight.
- The surgeon cannot see the body well.
- You are bleeding during surgery.
What are the possible complications after laparoscopic gallbladder surgery?
You may be able to return to your normal daily activities within a week. These difficulties usually occur after surgery for some people, but some do not have a problem.
Some rare side effects include:
Bleeding, surgical site infection, hernia, blood clots, and heart problems commonly occur in the upper intestine.
Your colon or small intestine may also be damaged during surgery, in which case you will need another operation, which is very rare.
The person may also have the following problems after surgery:
Problems digesting fats
It is possible that your body will not digest fats due to medications taken after surgery, which will not take long.
Diarrhea and bloating
Indigestion often leads to diarrhea and bloating due to fat and fiber accumulation in the body.
Constipation
Gallbladder removal should indeed be a factor in reducing constipation, but surgery and anesthesia itself can lead to short-term constipation. Dehydration also exacerbates constipation.
Intestinal damage
This is very rare but not impossible. The cause is usually related to abdominal contractions. Heartburn and heartburn are regular after surgery, but if it persists for a few days and does not improve, be sure to talk to your doctor.
What can be expected after the surgery?
going home
You may only stay overnight in the hospital and return home the day after surgery, and you may also drink fluids before discharge.
Pain after surgery
You usually have pain after each surgery. Pain in the abdominal incision is perfectly normal, and you may also feel pain in your shoulders due to air entering the abdomen during surgery. Shoulder pain usually resolves after 24 to 48 hours.
It is best to take medicine to relieve the pain unless your doctor tells you to. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are usually good drugs for such conditions.
You may feel nauseous after surgery and get up and recover within a day or two, so be sure to talk to your doctor about this.
activities
It would help if you were as active as your body allows, no more. Doctors recommend walking. After surgery, you can go up and down the stairs, and the next day you can open the bandages and take a shower; if you do not feel improvement within a week after surgery, call your doctor.
With your doctor’s permission, you can return to work a week after the operation, and you can also drive 24 hours a day, but if you have surgery and your abdominal slit is very large, there are a few other limitations. After the increase, it usually takes 4 to 6 weeks for it to return to normal.
How long after surgery should we see a doctor again?
See a doctor for a checkup 2 to 3 weeks after surgery.
When to call a doctor?
Contact your doctor if you notice any of the following:
- Fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit or 38.5 degrees Celsius
- Severe pain and swelling in the abdomen
- Yellow skin or jaundice
- Abdominal pain and severe nausea and vomiting
- Inability to eat and drink
- Bleeding and discharge at the surgical site or redness at this site.
- Respiratory problems that do not improve
Gallstones can be a number and very small. In any case, it does not matter how many and the size of these stones, and no matter how small and gentle, it can lead to surgery because if this problem Does not resolve as bile ducts may become blocked.
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