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Gallstone Removal from Common Bile Duct Surgery
Relevant information about Gallstone Removal from Common Bile Duct Surgery.
- What does the surgery consist on
Gallstones are small pieces of solid material, in the majority of the cases they are composed by cholesterol. The majority of the disorders of the gallbladder are caused by gallstones. Their formation can be a result of the excessive production of cholesterol made by the liver. Gallstones cause pain, especially in the abdominal area. When gallstones cause many problems and pain, surgeons may decide to remove the gallbladder.
- Which problem does the surgery solve
The surgery will solve all the conflicts brought by gallstones in the gallbladder. When gallstones pass into the bile duct, this process is called choledocholithiasis, this can be complicated because the stones may block the bile duct. There are some aspects that can be a factor of risk, among them we can find, being older, suffering obesity, being woman and finally the genetic factor. The most common symptom is to feel pain in the upper abdomen. This occurs when the stones pass from the gall bladder into the cystic duct; this type of pain has been named biliary colic. A way to detectate gallstones is by having an Ultrasonography; it is a very efficient technique because it can only fail in 5% of the cases.
- How is the surgery performed
The gallstones that appear in the bile duct can be removed by an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. It is performed by using a flexible tube called endoscope that is introduced into the patient´s body. There is a catheter that is passed through the endoscope. This procedure has been very popular during the last few years because it presents many advantages: it is safer than other type of surgery, and it is successful in the 90% cases. The complications during this procedure can include, bleeding, a risk of infection, inflammation of the pancreas and perforation of the bile ducts. Most of the people who tried this treatment, had their gallbladder removed after the removal of the gallstones.
Another common procedure is the complete removal of the gallbladder; the procedure has two ways of being performed, the first one is called laparoscopic cholecystectomy and the other has been named open cholecystectomy surgery. The final way to treat gallstones is by having a non-surgical treatment. This treatment consists on the use of a prescript medicine that dissolves the gallstones; although the treatment can last a long period of time, several people prefer this treatment because it does not imply a surgical procedure that in some cases could be more risky.
- Surgery Lengh: The estimated time of the surgery is form one to three hours. The operation is performed by using general anesthesia, in order to give better conditions both for the surgeons and the patient. People who go under the surgery will not have to spend the night in the hospital; they will be able to return to their homes the same day of the operation.
- How is the post surgery process
The period for recovering and resting may vary depending on each patient. The normal recovery period for this surgery is three days since the operation. During these days the patient should not make any pressure in the operated area, he/she will have to be careful in his/her cleanness. For example, it is recommended to change bandages once per day and the patient will be able to take a shower after two days from the operation. The patient will be able to resume his/her normal activities, for instance working, after three days, however there are some persons who may need a longer period of time, probably one week will be enough. Physical activities are recommended to be resumed after one or two months after the operation; the time of recovery is indicated by the surgeon that will perform the surgical procedure.
The main complication of the gallstone removal is that, being a surgery, it presents the possibility of causing an infection or an excessive bleeding. An infection can be caused for many factors, but the main reason is a bad hygiene. This can be solved by following some strict rules related to cleanness. It is probable that the doctor will give to the patient a special medication in order to prevent the risk of having an infection. Bleeding can be considered normal in low amounts of blood, but if the patients notices that there is an excessive bleeding, he/she should call immediately to his/her doctor or in a worse case to an ambulance, because it could be serious.
Both the surgery and the non-surgical treatment will solve pain caused by gallstones that are located in the gallbladder of the patient. It is important for patients to know that in the majority of the cases gallstones can be prevented thanks to ursodiol, an especial medication that dissolves the gallstones and it also prevent them from forming. The difficulty related to the preventive treatment is to identify those patients who are exposed to a greater risk of having gallstones. The only well defined group of persons who are candidates to have this problem are obese individuals (they have a high probability of 40% to 60% of suffering this disorder). In this case, it has been demonstrated that ursodiol is quite effective in the treatment of this problem. There is no doubt that the treatment will improve the quality of life of the patient, the pain and discomfort caused by gallstones will be completely eliminated. It is a correct decision to ask the doctor if you needed this type of surgery or treatment, he/she will have the answers to all of your questions.
- What does the surgery not do
The surgery or the treatment will be oriented to eliminate and remove gallstones which are located in the gallbladder. In some cases there are patients who might need a complete removal of the gallbladder, in these occasions, doctors and surgeons will decide which treatment will be more appropriate for the patient.
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