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Facts About Gallbladder Surgery Queens NY Patients May Be Interested In

By Matthew Powell


The gall bladder is small organ in your body, just adjacent to the liver, whose function is to store a special juice referred to as bile produced by the liver. Bile is released whenever there is fat to be digested in the gut. The juices reach the intestines through channels that connect the liver, gall bladder, pancreas and bowel. In some instances, these ducts can get blocked resulting in a diseased sac that may require surgery. These are some of the basic principles of gallbladder surgery Queens NY patients may be interested in.

One of the typical conditions which may necessitate an operation is the presence of gallstones. This simply refers to formation of crystals in the gallbladder, resulting in clogging and inflammation. The stones can be made of cholesterol or calcium and other elements. The latter are also known as pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are yellow in colour, while pigment stones are black or brown. Factors that predispose an individual to suffer from gallstones include a previous history of the same, obesity, dehydration and age over forty.

The outstanding presenting complaint for suspected gallstones is abdominal pain, especially around the region of the upper quadrant on the right, where the inflamed bladder is situated. The colicky nature of the pain is attributed to peristaltic movement of gall stones between the organ itself and its related ducts. The patient tends to feel more discomfort if the stones are larger in size and if there are regular bouts of stone dislodgement into the duct system.

The patient may also have a distended abdomen. Additional signs and symptoms include yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes, fever, nausea, vomiting and consequent dehydration. The initial management of these patients is to provide supportive therapy as surgery is planned. This entails restoring hydration status though administration of intravenous fluids, analgesic support and drugs to reduce the inflammation.

Management of gallstones should be given the attention it deserves because negligence can lead to irreversible damage of critical organs in the body. The presence of stones triggers an inflammatory response that if left to go on without intervention, can result in spillage of bile once the gallbladder gets perforated.

Since gallstones have a high tendency to recur, they are best treated by simply getting rid of your gallbladder through a surgical procedure called cholecystectomy, usually performed under general anaesthesia. In preparing the patient for surgery, the doctor will do specific laboratory tests to check whether your system can withstand the stress of an operation. The operating team will also need an abdominal ultrasound to have an idea of how severe the damage is before they go in.

The operation can either be laparoscopic or open depending on the resources available. Laparoscopy is, however, more preferred because it carries less risk given the fact that only small incisions are made, limited to the target area. Consequently, cosmetic results are better than if one goes for open surgery.

The average duration for a cholecystectomy done laparoscopically is less than an hour. It may take longer if one opts for open surgery and if complications arise during the procedure. Some of the risks of this procedure include excessive blood loss, damage to surrounding organs and infection. Being under general anesthesia, the patient may also be at risk of aspiration, cardiac arrest and other anesthesia related complications. The good news is that after a successful cholecystectomy, there is no chance of getting gallstones in the future.




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