Gall Bladder & Bile Duct Disorders

The Gall Bladder and Bile Duct Disorders at the Centre for Digestive & Liver Diseases is a specialised, well-equipped unit staffed by trained and professional healthcare experts offering effective treatment to patients with gall bladder and bile duct disorders. Our teams identify those patients who improve with medical management alone and some who are in critical condition and may also need post-op care. We at Yashoda Hospital believe in the prevention of infection and appropriate use of medications to cure gallbladder and bile duct disorders. Surgery is usually the last recourse where our expert's gastroenterologists help you to live a better quality of life.

What are Gall bladders Disorders?

The term gall bladder disorder is an umbrella term which is used for the various types of conditions that affect your gall bladder. The gall bladder is a small pear-shaped sac which is located underneath your liver. The gall bladder helps in storing the bile produced by the liver and then passing it along a duct which empties into the small intestine. The fats are digested through bile in the small intestine.

The majority of the gall bladder diseases is caused by inflammation which occurs due to the irritation of the gallbladder walls, which is also referred to as cholecystitis. The gallstones block the ducts; thus it causes the bile to build up and resulting in inflammation.

Types of gallbladder disease include:

• Sclerosing cholangitis
• Cholecystitis
• Acute cholecystitis
• Chronic cholecystitis, where gallbladder shrinks and removes its ability to store and release bile.
• Choledocholithiasis, bile is blocked due to the gallstones getting stucked in the common bile duct.
• Acalculous gallbladder disease, inflammation in the gallbladder which starts without the presence of gallstones.
• Biliary dyskinesia, gallbladder works lower-than-normal function.
• Gallbladder polyps, when there are growths of polyps within the gallbladder.
• Gangrene of the gallbladder, when the gallbladder causes inadequate blood flow.
• Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder)
• Gallstones
• Gallbladder cancer
• Abscess of the gallbladder, when the gallbladder is inflamed with pus.
• Growths of tissue in the gallbladder

The liver produces bile, which is a yellow, greenish thick, sticky fluid. The bile helps in aiding digestion by making fats, fat-soluble vitamins, and cholesterol, easier to absorb. Our bile also helps in eliminating certain waste products from our body.

Following are the bile disorders :

• Gallstones that move out of the gallbladder into the ducts
• Injury or harm to the bile ducts during gallbladder surgery
• Narrowing of the bile ducts which results in severe factors such as AIDS-related infections and primary sclerosing cholangitis
• Disorders of the pancreas, which can restrict the bile ducts as they pass through the pancreas
• Tumours in the pancreas, bile ducts or gallbladder
• Infestation by parasites
• Inflammation of the gallbladder due to the bile ducts being blocked
• Biliary pain without gallstones.

How is gallbladder and bile disorders diagnosed?

To diagnose gallbladder and bile disease, your doctor conducts a medical examination. You will be given an abdomen physical exam to find the exact location of the pain.

Some of the diagnostic you may have to undergo are:

• Chest and abdominal X-ray
• Ultrasound
• CT and MRI scan,
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

How is Gallbladder and Bile Disorders treated?

Medical treatment

The first episodes of the gall bladder and bile disorders are treated with pain medications. Our doctors, after physically examining you, will prescribe medications to reduce the inflammation.

Surgery

If you have experienced multiple episodes of inflammation, the doctors will conduct surgery to remove your gall bladder. To treat active gallbladder disease and bile disorder, gallbladder surgery continues to be the most effective method.

The doctor will perform the surgery either by opening your abdomen with an incision or laparoscopically. The laparoscopic surgery involves making several poke holes through the abdominal wall and inserting a camera. Laparoscopic surgery is done to allow faster recovery.

Weight loss surgery

There are certain health conditions which increase the risk of gallstone formation. You can manage the gall bladder diseases by managing your lifestyle. Being diabetic and overweight augments the likelihood of gallstones. Our doctors perform weight loss surgery in some patients to control the weight and reducing the risk of diabetes.