Gallbladder Disease – A Less Invasive Solution to a Common Problem
Emporia, VA (Oct. 12, 2011) – Gallbladder disease is one of the most common conditions seen in doctor’s offices and emergency rooms across the country today, with an estimated twenty million Americans affected by gallbladder disease each year. The gallbladder, a small pear-shaped organ located just below the liver, plays an important role in the digestive process by storing bile produced by the liver until it is needed in the small intestine to break down fat. The gallbladder generally goes unnoticed unless a patient experiences symptoms of a disorder, such as inflammation, infection, or the most common cause, gallstones.
Gallstones are hard pebble-like deposits that form when bile stored in the gallbladder becomes concentrated and thickens, or there is too much billirubin in the bile. These stones may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Because gallstones can develop and pass through the gallbladder and intestines without causing symptoms, only about 60 percent of people with gallstones ever know that they are there. However, when a gallstone is large enough, it may become caught in the passageways, or ducts, of the gallbladder, pancreas or liver, resulting in extreme pain. Other symptoms of gallstones include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea especially after a high-fat or spicy meal. An even more severe and potentially fatal condition associated with gallstones is a stone obstructed bile duct, which can result in gallbladder rupture. With this condition, one might also experience dark urine, fever, chills and/or yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.
Diets high in fats and cholesterol are a main contributor to gallstone development. In addition to diet, other risk factors for developing gallstones include gender, body weight, age and ethnicity. Women are more likely to develop gallstones because estrogen causes more cholesterol to be excreted in bile. Overweight individuals may also have higher levels of cholesterol excreted into their bile. Individuals older than 60 years of age and those of Native American and Mexican-American descent are also high-risk groups.
When gallstones develop and cause symptoms, physicians use blood tests to check for bilirubin levels and liver function, and diagnostic imaging procedures like CT, and ultrasound to determine the presence of gallstones. If gallstones are not present, the physician might also order a hepatolite scan to determine if the gallbladder is functioning properly. With this procedure, the patient is placed under a nuclear scanner, a small amount of radioactive isotope is injected into the patient and images are captured as the dye progresses through the liver into the gallbladder.
Once the decision is made that medical intervention is required, the most common treatment is surgical removal of the gallbladder. This can be accomplished through the traditional open procedure, known as a cholecystecotomy, or by the much less invasive, laparoscopic cholecystecotomy. It is estimated that as many as 90% of gallbladder surgeries are performed using laparoscopic cholecystecotomy. According to Paul Hogg, MD, General Surgeon, of Southern Virginia Medical Group, “the laparoscopic method is so much more widely utilized because of the substantial benefits to the patient as compared with the open cholecystecotomy. The outcome of both procedures is the same. The gallbladder is removed. The difference is with the open method, the patient would have a 3 – 6 inch incision, a hospital stay of up to 5 days and out of work for 6 – 8 weeks. With the laparoscopic procedure, the patient has four small incisions, the surgery is done on as an outpatient procedure and normal activity can generally be resumed within several days.”
Earlier this year, Dr. Hogg performed a laparoscopic cholecystecotomy on Tonya Bryant of Emporia. Tonya, who had suffered with gallbladder problems for three years, did not want to have gallbladder surgery. She saw Dr. Hogg in his office on a Tuesday and was scheduled for surgery on the following Monday at 8:00 AM. By noon on the day of her surgery, she was recovering comfortably at home. Ms. Bryant did not require any pain medication at home and she actually went back to work two days later.
“No one should suffer with the painful symptoms of gallbladder disease for three years like Tonya did because of a fear of a long, drawn-out and painful surgical procedure,” said Dr. Hogg. “If you have gallbladder disease and laparoscopic cholecystecotomy is an option for you, you don’t have to.”
Dr. Paul Hogg is certified by the American Board of General Surgery. His practice, Southern Virginia Medical Group, is located at 511 Belfield Drive, Emporia, VA. If you experience signs or symptoms associated with gallbladder disease or gallstones, contact your primary care physician or proceed to your nearest emergency room. If you’ve been diagnosed with gallbladder disease or you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hogg, contact Southern Virginia Medical Group at 434-348-4680.