The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ located above the stomach and under the liver. The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile, produced in the liver, and then squeezes the bile into the intestine during meals to help with the digestion of fats. If gallstones form in the gallbladder or tubes leading to the intestine or from the liver, and cause a blockage, the gallbladder becomes inflamed, a painful condition called cholecystitis. Recurrent cholecystitis would probably require cholecystectomy, gallbladder removal.
What are Gallstones?
Gallstones are lumpy deposits that form in the gall bladder or ducts. Approximately 80 percent of gallstones are made of cholesterol. Fatty cholesterol gallstones form when the liver produces more cholesterol than the gall bladder can handle. Other types of gallstones form hard deposits by combining with calcium. These include calcium carbonate stones, black pigment gallstones caused by excess bilirubin and calcium, and brown pigment gallstones, caused by a bacterial infection that alters bilirubin, which then combines with calcium.
Occurrence and Risk Factors for Gallstones
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, more than 25 percent of Americans are living with gallstones, and 1 million new cases are diagnosed annually. The good news is that only 1 percent to 3 percent of people complain of an attack and less than half of those have a second attack.
Women are twice as likely as men to have gallstones. Native North and South Americans, Scandinavians and Hispanics and obese individuals and diabetics are at higher risk for developing gallstones.
Signs and Symptoms of Cholecystitis
Chest pain on the right side, nausea, vomiting, gas, sweating, loss of appetite and abdominal bloating or tenderness soon after a meal, particularly if the meal is high in fat, are classic signs of cholecystitis. Pain can be severe and can last for hours or even days. Because many of these symptoms are similar to those of heart attack, you should seek immediate medical attention if you experience them. Fever, rapid heartbeat, fast breathing, and confusion can indicate widespread infection, or septicemia, and also require immediate medical attention.
What Happens After Cholecystectomy?
After your gall bladder is removed, the liver still produces the bile that your body needs to aid digestion, but the bile is released directly into the intestine as it is produced rather than only during meals. Because less bile is available during meals and the bile is less concentrated, digestion is speeded up and diarrhea can occur. Approximately 10 percent of people who have a cholecystectomy experience diarrhea.
Food and Cholecystectomy, Gall Bladder Removal
Foods that can cause cholecystitis are the same foods you should shun when you have a cholecystectomy. Saturated fats, fried foods, spicy foods and lots of sugar and artificial sweeteners are known to provoke attacks in people with gallstones and should be avoided after cholecystectomy.
Mono-unsaturated fats, such as olive or canola oil, fish oil, high fiber, nuts and lots of fruits and vegetables not only lower your risk of gallstone formation, but ease the digestive process once you've had your gall bladder removed.
