Gallbladder Disease

The gallbladder is involved in digestion of fats and oils found in our food. If you develop gallstones, these stones can prevent the gallbladder from working properly, leading to pain attacks after eating. This is known as biliary colic. If the attack is severe and does not resolve on its own, then this is known as acute cholecystitis.

If you have gallstones causing pain, you should consider surgical removal of your gallbladder. Gallbladder surgery is usually performed in a minimally invasive procedure, whether its laparoscopic or robotic. In general, patients go home the same day of surgery, and usually take 1-2 weeks off of work before returning to light duty.

Other benign conditions of the gallbladder include gallstone pancreatitis and biliary dyskinesia. Gallstone pancreatitis is caused by small stones escaping the gallbladder and entering the nearby ducts, causing a blockage. The bile backs up and causes inflammation in the pancreas and liver. Biliary dyskinesia is when the gallbladder does not empty out bile at a proper speed. It is usually too slow, although some patients develop symptoms from the gallbladder emptying too fast (hyperkinesia).

These conditions may also benefit from surgery to remove the gallbladder. If you would like to discuss your symptoms and determine what your next steps should be, please call 201-474-5763 today to schedule a surgical consultation.