The gall bladder is a small organ that is situated in the vicinity of the liver.
The liver produces bile, a substance that has a very important role in the
digestion of fat. The gall bladder stores the bile produced by the liver and
expels it inside the small intestine when the substance is required in the
digestion of foods containing fat.
Many people suffer from gall bladder
disease these days. The disease has a high incidence in elderly people and
statistics indicate that around 15 percent of people with gall bladder disease
have ages over 50. Gall bladder disease mostly occurs in women, as estrogen
facilitates the development of the illness. Children and teenagers rarely
develop gall bladder disease and young patients usually suffer from milder forms
of the disorder. Gall bladder disease has a high incidence in overweight people,
people with internal disorders (gastro-intestinal problems) and people with high
blood cholesterol levels.
In the majority of cases, gall bladder disease
is caused by gallstones. Gallstones are formed due to the excess of cholesterol
in the bile or incomplete emptying of the gall bladder. Sometimes, gallstones
are formed when the gall bladder removes too much water from the stored bile.
Gallstones are solid formations that accumulate inside the gall bladder,
blocking the access of the bile. The diseased gall bladder can't sustain its
normal activity and the process of digestion is perturbed.
Gall bladder
disease can usually be overcome through diet and medical treatments. However, in
serious forms of the disease, doctors recommend the removal of the diseased gall
bladder through the means of surgical intervention. Gall bladder disease can be
either chronic (chronic cholecystitis or billary colic) or acute (acute
cholecystitis). Chronic cholecystitis is less serious and generates milder
symptoms, while acute cholecystitis may in some cases require
surgery.
The gall bladder is not considered to be a vital organ and if it
is removed, the body can still sustain its normal activity. However, in the
absence of the gall bladder, the liver has to produce more quantities of bile
whenever food that contains fat enters the small intestine. Without a gall
bladder, food digestion and absorption can sometimes be affected. People who had
their gall bladder surgically removed need to respect a low-fat diet and limit
the amount of food consumed during their meals. With appropriate medical
treatment and good diet, the body will begin to cope with the absence of the
gall bladder.
There are two common medical procedures used in gall
bladder surgery: open surgery (cholecystectomy) and laparoscopic surgery
(laparoscopic cholecystectomy). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is usually
preferred by both patients and surgeons, as the surgical intervention involves
less risk and leaves less pronounced scars. This form of surgery is performed
with the aid of a laparoscope, a tube-shaped medical instrument that has a
camera attached to it. By using a laparoscope, the surgery requires smaller
incisions and patients who suffer such surgical interventions recover rapidly.
There are many effective means of dealing with gall bladder disease and it is
important to see a doctor if you suffer from gall bladder inappropriate
activity. Left untreated, gall bladder disease can aggravate and lead to
complications.
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