Gallstones may sound familiar to you. This is not surprising considering that today many people suffer from gallstones. Lifestyle and poor quality of intake are considered to be one of the factors, even though there are many other things that can trigger the formation of gallstones besides these two factors that you need to know and pay attention to to avoid this one disorder.
What are gallstones?
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ tucked under your liver. The gallbladder stores bile, a fluid that helps the body break down fat. Gallstones are small stones that form in the gallbladder which can take the form of small spots or become as large as the entire gallbladder. There are two main types of gallstones, namely cholesterol or pigment. It is very important to know the type of gallstones, because cholesterol stones can be treated more easily without surgery than pigment stones. Eighty percent of cases of gallstones are the cholesterol type, and the remainder are pigment stones.
What are the risk factors that trigger gallstones?
In general, there are at least a number of things that are risk factors that can trigger gallstones, including:
- Woman
- Age 40 and over
- Have a family history of disease and genetics
- Pregnancy
- Use of medications that contain estrogen (such as birth control pills)
- Obesity
- Eat high-fat foods
- Eat low fiber foods
- Fasting too often or eliminating meal times
- Rarely breakfast
- Rapid weight loss (including patients undergoing weight loss surgery)
- Lack of physical activity
- Diabetes mellitus
- sickle cell disease
- Severe liver cirrhosis
What are the symptoms of gallstones?
In most cases, gallstones do not cause symptoms. However, if symptoms do occur, they may include:
- Abdominal pain, often on the right side just below the ribs or in the upper center of the abdomen or called biliary colic
- Pain in the back or right shoulder
- Nausea and vomiting
If you have gallstones and don't have any symptoms, they may not need treatment. But if you start experiencing complaints, gallstone treatment is needed. Complaints may come and go, and then get worse over time. Gallstones can be a serious problem if you experience:
- Icteric (yellow skin and eyes)
- Gallbladder infection
- Gallbladder tear which can cause death
- Pancreatic inflammation
How is gallstones diagnosed?
There are two parts to diagnosing gallstones: determining if gallstones are present, and determining if gallstones are the cause of the symptoms. Gallstones are usually found by examination using an ultrasound or CT scan. It is not certain that the symptoms are the result of gallstones, for this reason the doctor will recommend other tests to see if there is any doubt about the relationship between gallstones and the symptoms that arise.
How to treat gallstones?
There are two options for treating gallstones. The best choice depends on your conditions and preferences.
- Surgical therapy
An operation to remove the gallbladder and gallstones is known as cholecystectomy. In most cases, cholecystectomy surgery is performed using small instruments and a video camera that is inserted into the abdomen through small incisions called a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. - Non-surgical therapy
An act of removing gallstones while preserving the gallbladder. Treatment options may include taking drugs or using devices that can break up gallstones. Medicines only work on certain types of gallstones, and it takes a long time, and the stones may come back.
That's all about gallstones that you need to know. Starting from risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, to appropriate actions and treatment. Understanding a lot about gallstones can help you and your loved ones avoid gallstones or find treatment that suits your needs. Don't forget to consult your bile problems with a trusted doctor.
This article was written by dr. Tjhang Supardjo , M. Surg, FCCS, Sp.B, FCSI, FInaCS, FICS who is a Surgical Specialist (Heart Disease, Gallbladder, Spleen and Pancreas) at OMNI Hospital Alam Sutera.
Dr. Expertise Tjhang Supardjo, M. Surg, FCCS, Sp.B, FCSI, FInaCS, FICS
- Treat liver disease & cancer
- Treat pancreatic disease & cancer
- Dealing with diseases, stones & bile cancer
- Treat spleen disease
- Laparoscopic surgery (minimally invasive technique)
- TACE/ TACI/ PTCD/ RFA/ Liver Dialysis
- Liver transplant
Education Dr. Tjhang Supardjo, M. Surg, FCCS, Sp.B, FCSI, FInaCS, FICS
- Doctor Profession, Faculty of Medicine, Trisakti University, Jakarta
- General Surgeon, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery & Liver Transplantation Subspecialty, Zheijiang University, Hangzhou, China
- General Surgery Adaptation, UNPAD-RSHS Bandung
- Hepatology Institute, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital (EHBH) Shanghai, China
- Hepatobiliary Interventional Center (TACE, TACI, PTCD, RFA), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Artificial Liver Supporting System (Liver Dialysis) Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Living Donor Liver Transplantation, ASAN Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
- Pancreatic Cancer & Surgery, Kyoto University, Japan
For further information, contact Andy: +62 811-1225-277