| What are Gall
Stones?
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Gall bladder contains bile that helps in fat digestion. Bile is a liquid and oily substance that is secreted from liver. Due to factors like infection, stasis, high fatty content or some unclear reasons bile starts getting thickened and forms gallstones.
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| Did I do anything wrong to have had
gallstones?
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Difficult to say! Though generally there is correlation between fatty diet and gallstones, there are many patients who are neither fat nor have high fatty diet but have developed gallstones. On the other hand some obese patients on fatty diet do never develop gallstones. Gall stone formation is dependant on more than one factor. At best you can control some of the possible reasons but cannot eliminate completely the possibility of gall stone formation. Remember this does not mean you should eat a high fat diet.
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| Does it happen more commonly in
females?
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There is a slightly increased chance of gall stones in females.
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| Do size and numbers of stones
matter?
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Yes, they do. Single large stone actually causes fewer complications than multiple small stones. Multiple small stones can pass to surrounding structures like common bile duct and cause jaundice, pancreatitis or even septicaemia in some cases. Any of these stones can cause pain or gastric type symptoms.
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| Can gallstones be treated by any other method than
surgery?
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No not really. Though few drugs have been tried to dissolve stones but it has been seen that only about
20% of stones are appropriate to even try this. Of these
20% stones, dissolving gallstones is partly successful and where successful it has a high incidence of recurrence. Therefore overall all the research has shown that most practical and cheaper treatment of gallstones is surgery.
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| Can stones in Gall bladder pass on their
own?
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Gallstones, where large and multiple are unlikely to pass on their own. Small stones can pass on its own but it can cause jaundice or pancreatitis. Thus from treatment point of view they do not pass on their own.
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| I have been detected with Gall stones but don't have any problem at all. Should I have the
operation?
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It is debatable. Research has shown that some patients with gall stone and no symptoms will never develop problems while some of them will do. If you have diabetes your chances of future problems are higher and you should go for early surgery. You can discuss with your doctor in further details on this if you want to.
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| I want to have the surgery but wait for sometime. Is there any
harm?
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30% of patients will develop complications if surgery is delayed. Surgery is more difficult and results not so good if complications have developed. Therefore surgery should be done at an early convenient time.
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| Can gallstones cause
cancer?
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Gallstones and cancer of gall bladder are associated in
80% cases. Whether stones cause cancer is a little unclear but we can't say for sure that it does. So we probably should treat it as a risk.
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What happens in gall bladder surgery?
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In gall bladder surgery we remove gall bladder along with stones in it.
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Why do you have to remove gall bladder itself and not only
stones?
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If we remove only stones and leave the gall bladder alone it will form stones again as in patients with stones either gall bladder is diseased or there is metabolic problems in the bile and it is best to remove the gall bladder.
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What are the surgical options I have for Gallstones?
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In older days gall bladder was removed through open operation but in current practice Gold standard is Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
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What is Laparoscopic Surgery? I am hearing a lot about
this!
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Laparoscopic Surgery is a method by which we can operate inside the abdomen without making big cuts. We usually make
3-5 holes in the abdominal wall (like a key hole) and with the use of specialized instruments can operate inside abdomen. It is also called
"Key hole Surgery". Some patients know this as micro surgery though it is not microsurgery in the true sense.
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What happens in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy?
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In Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy we remove gall bladder with stones by laparoscopic methods. We make four holes and remove gall bladder with one of the hole. It is commonly referred to as Lap Chole by surgeons.
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What are the benefits of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy over open
Cholecystectomy?
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The benefits are:
 Less postoperative pain
Less Scar
Early post operative feeding
Early mobilization
Less hospital stay
Less general complications
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Are there any disadvantages of Laparoscopic
Cholecystectomy?
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Disadvantages are minimal, if any. Only cost of specialized instruments is slightly higher compared to open surgery but this disadvantage is made up by less pain, early mobilization and reduced hospital stay.
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Are there any complications in Laparoscopic
Cholecystectomy?
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All operations carry a small possibility of complications. Common problems like infection or minor bleeding can occur. There is about
1% chance of any serious complication in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. To know more about possible complications, if you want to, you should discuss with your Surgeon.
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Once started, can you always do it laparoscopically?
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No, not always. In about 5% cases one needs to resort to open method due to different reasons.
That means there is a nearly 95% possibility that it can be done laparoscopically.
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What is the likely hospital stay?
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In most patients hospital stay is about 3 days. However it partly depends on every individual patient how quickly he or she recovers after operation. In patients where open operation needs doing it is usually
7-10 days. In few patients these can change.
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Do you need to remove stitches after operation?
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We usually put absorbable stitches. They get absorbed and don't need removing. Sometimes when non absorbable stitches are put they will need removing.
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Can I have bath once I go home?
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There is no restriction for bath as such but dressing can get wet. You can safely have bath after 4-5 days in most cases.
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When can I return to work?
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You can return to work generally in about two weeks. It can partly depend on you and your work.
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Can I eat fatty meal after operation?
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Yes you can. Fat is digested with the help of bile .It is secreted from liver, not gall bladder. Gall bladder merely stores it to help in fat digestion. There are some changes in that area after laparoscopic cholecystectomy but fat digestion continues to be fine. Remember moderate fat diet and not high fat is what you should aim for.
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