Signs You Might Need Gallbladder Surgery

Your gallbladder is a part of your digestive system, specifically responsible for helping you digest fats. Unfortunately, you can develop gallstones or cholecystitis, an inflammation of the organ leading to pain and other uncomfortable symptoms that, in some cases, warrant surgery.

At Advanced Surgical Associates of Northern Minnesota, board-certified general surgeon Dr. John Bollins and our team treat gallbladder disease at our locations in Hibbing, Duluth, and Ely, Minnesota. If you're having pain and other digestive trouble that may indicate a gallbladder problem, here's what you need to know about when surgery is the best treatment option.

What is the gallbladder?

Your gallbladder is an organ that sits under the liver in the upper-right side of your abdomen and is shaped like a pear. It stores and releases bile, a mixture primarily consisting of cholesterol, bilirubin, and bile salts, which is produced in the liver and allows your body to digest fats.

Before you eat, the gallbladder is like a balloon filled with liquid. When you start eating, it receives signals to contract and squeeze the stored bile through the biliary tract, which makes its way to your largest bile duct, the common bile duct. The duct sends it into the small intestine, where it mixes with undigested food. Once this happens, the gallbladder looks like a deflated balloon, ready to receive more bile.

Sometimes, issues arise with the gallbladder. Gallstones are pebble-like objects composed of bile salts that form in the gallbladder or bile ducts. They can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. They're usually harmless, but they can cause problems if they block the flow of bile.

Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder. It can occur when gallstones block bile from exiting the organ, and it's serious enough that it usually requires surgery to correct.

Signs you might need gallbladder surgery

Many people with gallstones don’t have symptoms, and with cholecystitis, symptoms may come and go. When you do get symptoms, they may include:

• Sudden, severe pain in your upper right abdomen
• Pain between your shoulder blades
• Pain in your right shoulder
• Pain after eating a high-fat meal
• Jaundice (yellow eyes and skin)
• Fever
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dark urine
• Pale stool

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek medical treatment, which will likely involve surgery.

Gallbladder surgery

Most gallbladder issues are treated by removing the gallbladder, a procedure known as a cholecystectomy. Your gallbladder isn't an essential organ, which means you can live just fine without it. Instead of flowing into your gallbladder for storage, bile from the liver flows through the bile ducts directly into the small intestine.

A cholecystectomy used to be performed with an open procedure, meaning a large incision and an extended recovery time. At Advanced Surgical Associates of Northern Minnesota, Dr. Bollins utilizes both minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgical techniques. These decrease blood loss, your risk for infection, and your recovery time.

Immediately following gallbladder removal, it is recommended that you avoid fried and greasy foods. Dr. Bollins will let you know when you can resume eating fats, but they should make up no more than 30% of your daily intake. Additionally, high-fiber foods like vegetables, grains, seeds, and nuts can cause bloating and gas if consumed too quickly. Therefore, take your time reintroducing them into your diet.

If you have abdominal pain in the upper-right quadrant of your abdomen, you may have a gallbladder problem. Call our office in Hibbing, Duluth, or Ely, Minnesota, or book your appointment online to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bollins.

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