Gallbladder Disease: Gallstones and Cholecystitis
The gallbladder is a small organ that is located under the liver. The purpose of the gallbladder is to store bile and bile is a fluid made by the liver that helps digest fat. The gallbladder releases bile through a tube called the common bile duct. The common bile duct connects the gallbladder and liver to the small intestine. There are several conditions that can affect the gallbladder. This is called “gallbladder disease”, the term refers to any condition that affects the gallbladder. Gallstones and Cholecystitis, are two conditions that affect the gallbladder.
Gallstones, is the most common condition that affects the gallbladder. Gallstones are solid particles that form in the gallbladder. The size of gallstone can vary. Gallstones can be the as small as a grain of salt or as big as a golf ball. The gallbladder can form hundreds of tiny stones, or sometimes small and large
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stones. In some cases, a single large stone can be formed inside of the gallbladder. Gallstones are usually caused by imbalances in the substances that make up bile. Gallstones can form if the bile has too much cholesterol, bilirubin, or does not have enough bile salts. There are two types of gallstones, cholesterol and pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are yellow or green and are mainly consisted of hardened cholesterol. Cholesterol stones are usually formed when there is too much cholesterol in the bile and it cannot be broken down by the bile. Pigment stones are dark and made of bilirubin. Bilirubin is a chemical and it is produced when the liver destroys old red blood cells. Pigment stones are formed when there is too much bilirubin and it cannot be broken down by the gallbladder. Most people with gallstones do not experience any symptoms. These stones are called asymptomatic or “silent gallstones”. These gallstones do not have an effect on the gallbladder or liver. It is possible for someone with gallstones to have a “gallbladder attack”. A gallbladder attack happens when a gallstone blocks the bile duct. When it blocks the bile duct it causes pressure to increase in the gallbladder. Biliary colic also occurs when the bile duct is blocked by a gallstone. Biliary colic is severe pain that is felt in the upper right abdomen caused by a gallbladder problem. The pain can be steady or irregular, and can last up to twenty four hours. Sometimes the pain is felt in the back and near the shoulder blade. Other symptoms of biliary colic include, nausea, vomiting, pain after eating a meal. Cholecystitis is another condition that affects the gallbladder and usually occurs when gallstones are present. Bile can build up when a gallstone blocks the common bile duct. The gallbladder becomes inflamed when the bile is not able to flow out and this is known as Cholecystitis. The symptoms of this condition include, severe pain in the abdomen, fever, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and pain that lasts for hours. This can be a very serious and life threatening condition if it is left untreated. Cholecystitis can cause other complications such as, infection, jaundice, pancreatitis, and gallbladder cancer. This condition is usually diagnosed with ultrasound exams, x-rays, and other imaging tests that can detect gallbladder inflammation. There are several ways that gallstone can be found and diagnosed. An ultrasound exam is usually given to diagnose gallstones but other imaging tests can be done to detect gallstones. Blood tests are used by health care providers to look for signs of infection of the bile ducts, gallbladder, liver or pancreas. When gallstones do not cause any symptoms, there is not usually a need for treatment. The treatment for gallstones and cholecystitis include, eating a low fat diet, taking medications to for the pain, taking medications that dissolve stones, and taking medications that prevent them from forming.
If these treatments are ineffective then surgery is recommended. The gall bladder is very helpful but it is possible to live without it. Bile will still be secreted from the liver but will go straight to the small intestine.
A procedure called “Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy” is done and this means that the gallbladder is removed. During this procedure, the patient is put under general anesthesia so that they are asleep. A few incisions are made in the abdomen, including the belly button. The surgeon uses a narrow tube called a cannula to enter through the belly button and a tiny telescope called a laparoscope connected a camera is inserted through the cannula so that the surgeon can see the organs better. Then other cannulas are inserted to help the surgeon separate the gallbladder and then it is removed through one of the
incisions. In conclusion, the gall bladder is an organ that stores bile and helps break down fat. Sometimes there are conditions that can affect the gallbladder and this is called gallbladder disease. Gallstones and Cholecystitis are two conditions that affect the gallbladder. Gallstones is the most common condition and can be the reason Cholecystitis occurs. When other treatments fail, then surgery is done to remove the gallbladder. The gallbladder is helpful but it is not as important as other organs, so it is possible to live without it.
The gallbladder according to Dorland’s Medical Dictionary is ‘the pear shaped reservoir for the bile on the posteroinferior surface of the liver, between the right and the left quadrate lobe, from its neck the cystic duct projects to join the common bile duct’. The function of the gallbladder in the human body is to solve and concentrate bile, which is produced by the liver and is necessary for proper digestion of fats.
The first laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) using keyhole approach was done by Professor Mouret of Lyon, France in 1987, when he was completing a gynecologic laparoscopy on a woman also suffering from symptomatic gall stones, he removed it laparoscopically instead of opening up. Dr. Eddie Reddick reported 100 cases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in 1989. The classical four port technique of LC as described by Reddick became the most widely adopted technique.
One or more gallstones erode into the gastrointestinal tract, creating a cholecystenteric fistula, most commonly between the gallbladder and the duodenum. Gallstones less than 2 to 2.5 cm generally pass into the intestine without causing obstruction while stones 5 cm or larger are more likely to impact usually at the distal ileum, the narrowest part of the small bowel. Other reported sites of impaction include proximal ileum, jejunem, colon, and rarely the duodenum or stomach (bouveret’s syndrome). [11] In our case, a large, approximately 5 cm, gallstone was found impacted at the jejunum while a smaller stone was found impacted at a Meckel’s
Most likely, if a kidney stone is causing blockage in the urinary tract, the person will need treatment. The majority of the kidney stones are small so they are left untreated and the person must wait for them to pass and a pain medication will be prescribed. One way someone could assist the stone in passing is by drinking a lot of water to help move the stone through the urinary tract, and if unable to drink due to vomiting, then it would be suggested that the person go to the hospital in order to get fluids through an IV. Your urologist can remove the kidney stone and break the stone into smaller pieces if the stone is large and the urinary tract is blocked with treatments such as shock wave lithotripsy and an ureteroscopy. In shock wave lithotripsy, a shock wave machine is used to break the kidney stone and then the small pieces that break off allowing them to pass through the UT.
Kidney stones, a very common urinary tract disorder that is now really rampant in humans especially. Some causes of kidney stones are still being argued from whether it is due to what is consumed or having a history in the family. There are some common kidney stones which are phosphate, oxalate and calcium. This kidney stones may vary in sizes, in other words if the kidney stones in one that is small then there is a less tendency to notice. Although, most people would notice when they starting filling pains that feel like cramps on the back and the side in area around the kidney or lower abdomen. Due to the blockage of urine by the insoluble salt this causing more concentrated urine.
Could you imagine not feeling good, day to day? Could you imagine not being able to eat what you want to eat because it will cause your stomach to flare up? Or even to keep running back and forth to the bathroom? Living with Crohn’s disease has those effects on the people who are living with it. According to Medicine Net, “Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease, primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can affect other parts of the digestive system as well. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss are common symptoms”. People that live with Crohn’s are living with a daily struggle. It’s important that they’re familiar with this disease, which includes knowing the cause, symptoms, complications and treatments.
...stive tract. Surgery becomes an option when the medication does not control the symptoms anymore and become ineffective. The procedure includes removal of the affected areas of the bowel and then joining the two ends of the healthy parts together. Sadly while this procedure may cause the symptoms to disappear for many years, they will eventually reoccur later on in life.
Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are both in a category of diseases called Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. This is a classification of disease in which inflammation forms in a part of the digestive tract, known as the gastrointestinal tract or GI tract, of the patient. The immune system then treats this area of inflammation as a foreign pathogen and attacks it. The causes of both of these diseases are currently unknown to the medical world.
It holds a juice that contains digestive enzymes like trypsin,it helps digest protein foods, the juice is called, pancreatic juice. It also holds amylase and maltase, they mash down carbohydrates. And finally it also holds lipase, it works with bile from the liver to digest fat. Bile is made in the liver but held in the gallbladder, a little pitted organ found just below the liver. Bile does not have enzymes instead, it holds mostly acids, salts, cholesterol, and other materials that work with lipase to break down fats.
Certain chemicals such as, ursodiol or chenodiol, have been shown to dissolve some gallstones, they can be found in oral bile acid pills. If these medicines work on the patient they will thin the bile, which will allow the gallstones to dissolve. This medical treatment can be very effective and tolerated if limited to people whose gallstones are small and made of cholesterol (WebMD). However, Doctors believe if you do not have symptoms, the patient should “wait and see,” because the risks outweigh the benefits for both medical and surgical treatments. If you have gallbladder symptoms, surgical treatments are preferred unless you are at high risk, and then drug treatments may be utilized. Surgical removal for gallstones range from different prices however, most health insurances typically pay for the procedure. For patients without health insurance, gallbladder surgery typically costs $10,000-$20,000. For example, at Wright Medical Center in Iowa, open gallbladder surgery costs about $9,700, including a doctor fee of about $2,500, while laparoscopic gallbladder surgery costs about $12,600, including a doctor fee of about $3,200
...n, the body is able to regenerate villi and gut physiology and functions should return to normality. However more research is being done on alternative treatments. Enzyme therapy is currently being studied, the treatment relies on enzymes such as gluten-specific endopeptidases and endoprotease reducing the antigenicity of gluten (Zingone, F., et al., 2010). tTg and inhibitors are also being investigated, although several gliadin epitopes have been shown to mount an immune response without being deaminated (Sollid, M.L., 2005). Another method that was under clinical trials depended on desensitising the body to gluten via a course of vaccines gradually increasing the concentration of gluten, (Zingone, F., et al., 2010) however none of the above methods have passed clinical trials so the only common treatment for coeliac disease remains leading a gluten free lifestyle.
In rare cases when a patient does not respond to drug treatment or diet and lifestyle changes, surgery may be necessary. Doctors will remove part or all of the colon in attempt to stop the condition. Surgeries for UC are generally successful but significantly decrease quality of life because the patient has to deal with frequent stools due to the absence of a colon.
The pancreas is one of the essential organs in the human body and belongs in the Digestive system. Out of all the internal organs, the pancreas is unique because the pancreas plays a role in both the endocrine gland and the exocrine gland. This means that the pancreas is a dual function gland in which is the reason why the pancreas is such a vital part of the digestive system. This research paper will talk about the anatomy, physiology, and the important functions the pancreas play to maintain homeostasis.
A cholecystectomy is a surgical procedure to remove your gallbladder ( Mayo Clinic staff, 2017). The most common reason people get their gallbladders removed is because of gallstones. The pain you get from having gallstones is very unreal. You would know if you have gallstones. I believe this because when you eat certain foods you get this really bad pain.
Gastroenteritis, sometimes referred to as infectious diarrhoea is a common disease that affects millions of people annually. It is a disease caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites that enter the human body and spread, which induce symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and nausea. Although it is a common occurrence in society and is usually not harmful, cases of gastroenteritis in less developed countries may have more fatal repercussions due to their inability to access ample means of treatment. Over time, as more research was conducted into the disease, scientific developments were made to aid those affected by gastroenteritis and reduce the number of fatalities by educating people regarding preventative methods.