Best Treatment Centre for Gallbladder Removal

In cases where gallstones start presenting symptoms, doctors may suggest a gallbladder removal surgery or a Cholecystectomy. At O Positive Health, we have impaneled some of the best hospitals which employ advanced laparoscopic procedures to treat gallstones. These procedures are minimally invasive, thus assisting the patient in recovering quickly. To help our patients in their treatment journeys, we have some of the best surgeons on board. They have over 8-10 years of experience treating gallstones and other disorders. Additionally, they have high surgery success rates.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Gallstones

Diagnosis

The doctor will first conduct a diagnosis of your condition with a physical examination of your skin and eyes to look for indications of jaundice. They will then ask questions to understand where you’re feeling the pain in the abdomen. Furthermore, the doctor may check the tenderness in your abdomen. Next, medical examinations like blood tests and ultrasound may be ordered to look for possible blockages in the bile duct. Once you get your blood work and ultrasound results, the doctor may also carry out  CT scans, MRIs, HIDA scans, and run tests like ERCP.

Treatment 

If your gallstones have started showing signs of dysfunction, the doctor may suggest the removal of your gallbladder. The laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery or the keyhole surgery is minimally invasive. During the surgery, the patient is put under general anesthesia. Next, the surgeon makes small incisions in the upper belly, after which the abdominal area is inflated using carbon dioxide to ensure a good view of the organs. The surgeon then removes the gallbladder, after which the laparoscope is removed, and a port valve is left in place briefly to allow all of the carbon dioxide to escape from the abdomen. The incisions after that will be closed with sutures, followed by skin glue or skiing closure tapes. The entire process takes one to two hours to complete.

Risks & Complications

Removal of the gallbladder is considered a relatively safe procedure but, like all other surgeries, this also has a number of risks associated with it, which include the following:

• Risk of developing infections: After a gallbladder removal surgery, some people are exposed to the potential risk of developing a wound or internal infection that can cause severe pain, leaking of pus from the wound, and swelling or redness around the operated area.
• Bleeding: There might be bleeding during the operation as a consequence of improper dissection and operating technique. Although rare, bleeding takes place if the middle hepatic vein or its large branch is encountered during the process of removing the gallbladder from the gallbladder bed.
• Bile leakage: Reported in 1% of the cases, this happens when the bile fluid occasionally leaks out into the abdomen after the gallbladder is removed, leading to abdominal pain, fever, and swelling of the stomach.
• Bile duct injury: The bile duct can be damaged during a gallbladder removal surgery. However, there is a possibility of repairing it straight away during the operation itself. 
• Allergic reaction to anesthesia: The reaction of an anesthetic agent can vary from person to person. Even though such cases are rare, the complications involved can include itching and other allergic reactions. It is always a wise decision to have a detailed consultation with your doctor regarding anesthetic reaction, given your health and medical conditions. 
• Damage to the intestine, bowel, or blood vessels: The surgical instruments used while removing a gallbladder might also end up injuring the surrounding structures such as the intestine, bowel, or blood vessels. However, this can also be repaired immediately during the surgery itself.
• Blood Clots or DVT: In rare cases where there is no movement in the patient’s body during the surgery or if the patient is diagnosed with cancer, there is a high risk of developing a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis as the clot can travel all around the body and block the flow of blood into the lungs.

What happens if gallstones are not treated on time?

Smaller gallstones might not show any signs or symptoms of their presence, but they do not heal or go away independently. The risks of not treating gallstones on time may include the following:

• Inflammation of the gallbladder/Cholecystitis: The gallstones may prevent the gallbladder from emptying, which can lead to the formation of pus inside the gallbladder leading to severe conditions like Septicemia that need immediate medical attention.
• Inflammation of the bile duct/Cholangitis: This is potentially a life-threatening condition resulting from a combination of infections and obstruction of your biliary tree.
• Pancreatitis/Inflammation in the pancreas: Gallstones can cause inflammation as the stones pass through and get stuck in your bile or pancreatic duct.
• Gallbladder/Bile duct cancer: Although rare, gallstones can lead to gallbladder or bile duct cancer due to chronic inflammation caused by the swelling and irritation of the gallbladder that continues over time.

How to prepare for the surgery?

Like every other surgical procedure, you must follow the doctor’s instructions for a smooth procedure and improved post-surgery recovery.

• Refrain from consuming anything for at least 8 hours before the surgery. An empty stomach would make it easier for the doctor to have a clear view inside your abdominal cavity, ensuring a safe and effective treatment.
• You must avoid taking certain drugs like aspirin, blood thinners, vitamin E, and arthritis medicines a week before the surgery.
• If you have a history of bleeding disorders or are allergic to anesthesia, it would be wise to inform your doctor before going for surgery.
• Upon reaching the hospital, you might be required to undergo specific medical evaluations like blood tests, chest x-rays, and other tests to eliminate any potential complications during the surgery.
• If you plan on taking a shower, you should make sure that you take it before going for the surgery, as doctors recommend keeping the surgical area dry after the operation, which helps to avoid infections and other complications in the wounded area after the surgery.

Benefits of Laparoscopic Surgery for Gallstone Removal

Laparoscopic surgery is an effective way to tackle health issues in the abdomen and pelvic region. It has various benefits like the following: 

Minimally invasive: During laparoscopic surgery, the doctor makes tiny incisions to access the precise problem area, making it a minimally invasive procedure. It helps reduce the risk of infection and presents minimal scarring post-surgery.

Lower blood loss: A laparoscopic surgery ensures lower blood loss as smaller incisions are made during the procedure. 

Shorter hospital stays: Compared to traditional surgeries, patients have a comparatively shorter hospital stay. Most patients are discharged within 24-48 hours unless their doctor advises.

Faster recovery: The recovery time for traditional surgeries ranges from 6 to 8 weeks. With laparoscopic surgery, patients can get back on their feet within 2-3 weeks.

What happens if gallstones are not treated on time?

Smaller gallstones might not show any signs or symptoms of their presence, but they do not heal or go away independently. The risks of not treating gallstones on time may include the following:

• Inflammation of the gallbladder/Cholecystitis: The gallstones may prevent the gallbladder from emptying, which can lead to the formation of pus inside the gallbladder leading to severe conditions like Septicemia that need immediate medical attention.
• Inflammation of the bile duct/Cholangitis: This is potentially a life-threatening condition resulting from a combination of infections and obstruction of your biliary tree.
• Pancreatitis/Inflammation in the pancreas: Gallstones can cause inflammation as the stones pass through and get stuck in your bile or pancreatic duct.
• Gallbladder/Bile duct cancer: Although rare, gallstones can lead to gallbladder or bile duct cancer due to chronic inflammation caused by the swelling and irritation of the gallbladder that continues over time.

What is the recovery process after the surgery?

With laparoscopic surgery, the patients can usually leave the hospital on the same day since it is a daycare surgery unless advised by the doctor. Patients are generally advised to stop performing physical activities like sports, swimming, and heavy lifting for at least a week and are usually able to return to their routine within two weeks.

The doctor will give you a detailed recovery plan and detailed instructions regarding diet and physical restrictions to help you get back to your normal routine faster.