What are the gallstones and what symptoms do they cause?
Gallstones are small stones, usually made of cholesterol, and are thought to develop because of an imbalance in the chemical make-up of bile inside the gallbladder (a small pouch-like organ found underneath the liver). In many cases the stones are discovered incidentally during an abdominal scan (e.g. ultrasound) performed for other reasons. If the patient does not have any symptoms and the liver enzyme tests are not deranged gallbladder surgery is not usually required.
The severity of patient symptoms secondary to the presence/location of gallstones varies. The most frequently associated symptoms/presentations associated with gallstones are:
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Sudden onset right sided upper abdominal pain (referred to us biliary colic, typically lasts 1-4 hours). Episodes of vomiting may also co-exist.
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Right sided abdominal pain associated with fevers and occasionally rigors (cholecystitis)
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Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice). In this scenario the patient’s liver enzymes are deranged
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Jaundice associated with fevers and rigors (cholangitis)
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Inflammation of the pancreas, a large gland that lies behind the stomach. Acute pancreatitis may develop when a gallstone moves out of the gallbladder and blocks the opening (duct) of the pancreas. This is a serious condition and requires admission to the hospital.
A consultation with a general surgeon is recommended should any of the above be present as the patient may require gallbladder removal surgery which is usually done as a minimally invasive procedure with the laparoscopic approach.