Everything About Gallstones & It's Treatment

What are Gallstones?

Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluids that form crystals inside the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ on the right side of the abdomen, just beneath the liver. The gallbladder stores and releases bile, a fluid made in the liver that helps digestion. Gallstones can range from the size of a grain to that of a golf ball. They block the bile duct causing inflammation or infection of the gallbladder, medically known as Cholecystitis and can lead to life-threatening complications if left untreated.

How are Gallstones formed?

The bile juice carries wastes like cholesterol and bilirubin which are made from the breakdown of hemoglobin present in the red blood cells which result in the formation of gallstones. When excess cholesterol present in the bile crystallizes, it prevents the gallbladder from emptying properly, causing sudden piercing pain in the abdomen. These gallstones then block the bile ducts in the biliary tract causing a gallbladder attack that can be extremely painful.

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Types of Gallstones

1. Cholesterol Stones

2. Pigment Stones

What causes Gallstones?

• Excess cholesterol present in the bile
• Presence of excess calcium in the bile
• Gallbladder does not clear properly

Signs and Symptoms of Gallstones

• Fever and chills
• Stomach upset
• Excessive pain on the right side of the upper/mid belly, just beneath the ribs
• Nausea and vomiting
• Eyes and skin turn yellow
• Indigestion, heartburn and gastric
• Pain on the right shoulder or back

Gallstones Diagnosis

Self-Diagnosis

Even if you might not suffer from any sort of pain from gallstones initially, they might internally lead you to several complications which can include the following symptoms:

• Nausea and Vomiting
• Piercing and rapidly intensifying pain in the right side of your abdomen
• Pain in your right shoulder
• High fever with chills
• Pain in the mid or lower back
• Jaundice, leading to skin and eye whites turning yellow
• Heartburn and indigestion

If you are going through any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you might consider suffering from the complications of a possible gallstone attack and should immediately seek medical assistance.

Diagnosis By Doctor

In case you are suffering from any of the symptoms of a possible gallstone, it would be best for you to consult a gallstone specialist. The doctor will conduct a diagnosis of your condition in the following ways:

• The doctor will carry out a physical examination of your skin and eyes to look for the signs of jaundice.
• You might be asked to pinpoint the area in your stomach where you feel the pain or the doctor might just check the tenderness in your abdomen.
• Depending upon your condition, the doctor will carry out certain medical examinations like blood tests and ultrasound to look for a possible blockage in your bile duct.

Based on the readings of the above tests, the doctor might also carry out a CT scan, MRI scan, HIDA scan, and run tests like ERCP.

Gallstones Severity

Grade 1 – Lithogenic Stage

In this stage, the gallbladder appears normally without any adhesions. Although the conditions inside the gallbladder may favour possible gallstone formation, nothing is formed quite yet and you can take certain measures to prevent the potential risks of developing gallstone.

Grade 2 – Asymptomatic Gallstone Formation

This is the stage where small gallstones present inside the gallbladder are easily detectable but do not cause any problems as they are able to pass through the biliary tract and can be expelled.

Grade 3 – Advanced/Complicated Cholecystitis

This is the stage in which the gallstones can block your bile duct and cause abdominal pain. However, the pain will not be constant and will be felt especially after you have a meal.

Grade 4 – Advanced/Complicated Cholecystitis

This is the final stage, where the condition becomes potentially life-threatening as the bile is blocked and unable to flow out of the gallbladder. If proper treatment is not received on time, this can be fatal as the chances of developing a potential gallbladder cancer is very high in this stage.

How to prevent Gallstones?

Maintaining your body weight by including high-fibre meals in your diet and getting regular exercise can lower the risk of attaining gallstones. You will have to make sure that your sugar level is in control as people with diabetes are at a higher risk of getting gallstones. Consuming good fats in the form of olive oil, canola oil, and fish can contribute to keeping your gallbladder healthy, and help you in reducing the risk of developing gallstones.

When to consult a Gallstones Doctor?

The presence of small gallstones in the gallbladder might not cause any significant signs and symptoms initially and certain cases might never require treatment. But, if you are suffering from complications like severe abdominal pain that lasts for almost two hours, nausea and vomiting, without making a delay you should immediately seek medical assistance. Consulting a gastroenterologist or an abdominal surgeon who specialises in the digestive system in this case would be the wisest decision to make.

Questions to ask your Gallstones Doctor

• Is there a chance that my gallstones will go away without treatment?
• Could there be any other reasons for my abdominal pain besides gallstones?
• Are there any chances of my gallstones recurring?
• Can gallstones be removed without surgery?
• Will there be any discomfort during my bowel movements?
• What are the changes that I should make in my diet?
• Will I be exposed to any risks and complications during the surgery?
• When will I be able to return to performing daily activities after the surgery?

Gallstone Treatment options & cost

Non-Surgical –

Based on the conditions and severity of your symptoms, the doctor might treat your gallstones without giving it a surgical approach. However, a non-surgical procedure only works when you are having cholesterol stones.

Surgical –

In case if you have gone through a gallstone attack, the gastroenterologist might recommend you to wait and want to see whether you have more of such attacks frequently. If you are suffering from pain and other severe complications caused by the gallstones, you may need to go through a surgical procedure to remove the gallstones/gallbladder. Gallstone or gallbladder removal surgeries are one of the most commonly performed surgical methods across the world. Doctors generally advise surgery if you are suffering from repeated gallstone attacks in order to prevent possible complications that might result in a severe outcome.

Gallstone Surgery cost with Insurance

Though insurance is very beneficial to the patient, most of the patients opt for better amenities and services while using health insurance policies to cover the cost of a gallstone surgery. With insurance, the expenses of the treatment may go higher than expectations, but, as the sum is deducted from the insurance, the patient does not feel a burden on his/her shoulder.