Ravi was a young intern working the night shifts in a government hospital when he was asked to examine a patient who had just been brought in. The patient was a 45-year-old, a fat man, who was complaining of pain in the right side of the abdomen along with nausea and vomiting. On inquiry it was revealed that he had eaten a very heavy fat-laden dinner.
Remembering what his surgery professor had taught him about cholelithiaisis, Ravi immediately guessed what the diagnosis could be. He, however, sent the patient for a blood test and an abdominal scan.
The reports confirmed Ravi’s suspicions- cholelithiasis, gallstones.
The gallbladder is a tiny pear shaped organ that lies just below the liver. It is responsible for storing the bile that is produced by the liver for digesting food. It ensures the smooth outflow of the bile from the bile ducts.
When the bile components aggregate in the gallbladder, they build up to form gallstones, similar to kidney stones.
The gallstones are usually small enough to pass on to the intestines and be eliminated without causing too much trouble.
At times, these stones may be big enough to block the outflow of the bile and give rise to a variety of symptoms depending on the size of the stone and severity of the block.
The symptoms include –
- Intermittent colic.
- A bloated sensation with constant nausea.
- Inability to tolerate fats.
- Vomiting.
- Fever with chills if the stone becomes infected.
Gall stones though found in both sexes, is more common in females. The risk factors for developing gallstones include –
- Diabetes.
- Organ transplant.
- Diseases like hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia.
- Liver cirrhosis.
- Failure of the gallbladder to empty properly, e.g., during pregnancy.
- Rapid weight and nutrition loss due to any reason.
Gallstones are confirmed by a blood test to check the liver function and by an abdominal scan. Medications to dissolve the stones, and surgery in case of large stones that do not dissolve with medications, are the treatment options.
