Gallbladder
Diagnostics
The most common method to prove gall-bladder stones is an ultrasonic examination. Further examination is only necessary in the case of further stones in the biliary duct.
Surgery
The laparoscopic resection of the gall-bladder (minimal invasive surgery) is the most common method for symptomatic patients. There is seldom a reason to perform surgery on patients with gall-bladder stones who show no symptoms or on patients suffering from polyps.
After the abdomen has been bloated with gas, the optics, the fixation forceps and two instruments are inserted into the abdomen through four small incisions.
The laparoscopic resection of the gall-bladder is successful in 95 % of all patients. Only in cases of strong inflammation or bleeding the resection has to be performed via open cut surgery.
Surgical Risks
The risk of bleeding from the gall bladder bed (fossa) and the artery providing the gall bladder with blood (which will be ligated with a clip) is low. In cases of strong obliteration after earlier operations a general operation has to be performed in most cases.
Special Qusetions
- Your stay in hospital takes 3-5 days. There are no sutures to be removed after surgery.
- Drainages are only inserted in special cases.
- There are no special dietetic instructions for patients after a gall-bladder resection. Actually, all kinds of food are allowed, in some cases you might experience a sense of fullness in the abdomen or indisposition, e.g. after the consumption of flatulent food, which then should be avoided.
