What is gallbladder disease?
Gallbladder disease includes several conditions that interfere with the health and function of your gallbladder. Your gallbladder is a small organ located beneath your liver. It stores bile before it’s released into your small intestine to help you break down and digest fat. Some of the common types of gallbladder disease include:
- Gallstones
- Cholecystitis
- Choledocholithiasis
- Acalculous gallbladder disease
- Biliary dyskinesia
- Sclerosing cholangitis
- Gallbladder polyps
- Gallbladder cancer
Most gallbladder diseases cause inflammation and irritation in your gallbladder and can obstruct the duct that leads to your small intestine. If this duct is blocked, an infection may develop and cause necrosis or gangrene.
What are the signs of gallbladder disease?
Gallbladder disease causes a variety of symptoms including:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
If these symptoms don’t subside within a few days, especially if you have a personal or family history of gallbladder disease, make an appointment with Dr. Sahai for diagnosis and treatment.
How is gallbladder disease diagnosed?
At Sahai Surgical Specialists, Dr. Sahai diagnoses gallbladder disease with a comprehensive physical exam and imaging studies. During your exam, Dr. Sahai asks about your personal and family medical history, examines your skin and eyes, and feels your abdomen.
Dr. Sahai may order diagnostic imaging studies such as X-rays or ultrasounds to examine your gallbladder and other abdominal organs to identify the cause of your symptoms. If your X-ray or ultrasound are inconclusive, Dr. Sahai may order a HIDA scan. HIDA is short for hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid, and a scan uses a small amount of radioactive dye to measure your gallbladder and bile duct system function.
How is gallbladder disease treated?
Dr. Sahai offers comprehensive treatments for gallbladder disease. Often lifestyle modifications can reduce your risk of gallstones and other conditions. You may also benefit from medication to reduce inflammation and related pain.
However, Dr. Sahai offers expert surgical procedures to repair your gallbladder including a cholecystectomy, which is gallbladder removal surgery. Whenever possible, Dr. Sahai uses minimally invasive surgical techniques including laparoscopy and the robot-assisted da Vinci® Surgical System.
If you’re concerned about gallbladder disease, call Sahai Surgical Specialists or schedule a consultation online today.
