Gallbladder diseases refer to conditions that can affect your gallbladder.
In most cases, gallbladder diseases are caused by gallstones.
Gallstones can also lead to gallbladder infection and inflammation, also known as cholecystitis.
Jaundice, which is another type of gallbladder disease, occurs when the liver is damaged or diseased.
In most cases of gallbladder disease, surgery to remove the entire gallbladder may be recommended if the pain and symptoms appear to be severe.
What Is Gallbladder Disease?
Gallbladder diseases refer to conditions that can affect your gallbladder.
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped sac that can be found under your liver. Your liver produces bile, and it is then stored in the gallbladder. The gallbladder’s function is to excrete bile into the small intestine to help digest fats.
One of the primary causes of gallbladder diseases is inflammation due to irritation of the gallbladder walls. This is because gallstones block the ducts that lead to the small intestine, causing bile to accumulate and resulting in inflammation.
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Gallstones
Gallstones are small solid pieces of material usually made of cholesterol, which form in the gallbladder. In many cases, they do not cause symptoms and do not need to be removed. However, if the gallstones are trapped in the bile duct of the gallbladder, you will suddenly feel intense pain and need to be treated immediately.
Symptoms include: Sudden and intense abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.
A gallbladder infection, also known as cholecystitis, is inflammation of the gallbladder. This usually occurs when a gallstone blocks the cystic duct, resulting in a bile buildup.
Symptoms include: Acute pain in upper right abdomen, Pain beneath right shoulder blade or back.
Gallbladder polyps are abnormal tissue growth that develop in the gallbladder. Gallbladder polyps are relatively common and in most cases, they do not cause any symptoms. However, some polyps may grow in size, become cancerous and should be removed.
Symptoms include: Pain on the right abdomen, nausea, vomiting, fever.
Gallbladder cancer is a rare form of cancer that develops in the gallbladder, a small organ under the liver. While the exact cause of gallbladder cancer is not fully understood, certain factors can increase the risk of developing this condition.
Gallbladder sludge is a thickened mixture of bile, cholesterol, and other substances that can accumulate in the gallbladder when it does not empty completely. Gallbladder sludge may come and go and does not always cause symptoms. However, gallbladder sludge can also lead to gallstones and an infection, causing discomfort.
Symptoms include: Pain in the upper right abdomen, nausea, vomiting, bloating.
Jaundice is a condition with yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, caused by the excess of the pigment bilirubin. Bilirubin is produced as a waste by-product when red blood cells break down naturally during each 120-day cycle. Infections or damage may interfere with this process, resulting in jaundice.
Symptoms include: Yellowing of the whites of your eyes and skin, dark urine and light stools, itchiness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain.
Gallbladder issues are usually caused by the presence of gallstones. Gallstones may get stuck in a bile duct or cause an infection in the gallbladder. Other gallbladder diseases may be caused by polyps or tumours.
What Are The Warning Signs Of Gallbladder Disease?
Some symptoms may include pain in the upper right abdomen, vomiting, jaundice, fever and a rapid heart rate.
Can Gallbladder Diseases Go Away Without Surgery?
Most of the time, gallbladder diseases require some form of treatment to be cured. However, not all diseases may require surgery. Depending on the severity and risk of your condition, your doctor may or may not recommend surgery.
How Do I Know If My Gallbladder Needs To Be Removed?
Gallbladder removal surgery may only be needed if you have a recurrent infection, a gallstone is stuck in the bile duct or if cancerous tissues are found in the gallbladder. Our doctor will recommend the best course of action for your condition.
I always knew I had gallstones but didn’t know how bad it was until 2 weeks ago when the pain finally got to me.
I was in so much pain until I couldn’t get out of my bed and had to get my wife arrange for an
emergency visit to the hospital. Dr Ganesh was the doctor that saw me and after our checks, he recommended that I proceed with my gallbladder surgery, since the inflammation was quite bad.
The surgery went smoothly and the pain was gone within 2 weeks. Dr Ganesh also gave me some diet advice as it seems what I’m eating is a likely cause. Thanks to his advice, I don’t think I feel different even after the surgery.
Thank you G&L clinic.
5
I had a great experience seeing Dr Ganesh. I had gallstones for many years and had to go for a surgery because the condition was starting to bother me. Dr Ganesh and his team arranged everything swiftly and made sure that all my concerns were addressed so I had a worry-free procedure.
My operation was also fairly smooth with no hiccups. He gave me great advice on how to speed up my recovery and I could already start light exercises slightly more than a week after my surgery.
Thank you Dr Ganesh and the staff of G&L.
5 Stars
A kind doctor with a great heart. My father couldn’t understand English and Dr Ganesh immediately arranged for a staff to translate the entire consultation for him. My dad had gallbladder issues and it started getting worse so we had to arrange a surgery for him.
Lisa helped arrange for him to be seen in the quickest time possible and we had the surgery scheduled within the week. The team at G&L is efficient and detailed, filling us in on what we need to look out for leading to the procedure and helped us make sure the process was as seamless as possible.
Special thanks for Ann and Jiaxin for running around to help us secure arrangements necessary for my dad as we understood it was a mad rush with everything.
He is recovering well all thanks to all of you. Great work G&L Surgical Clinic!
5 Stars
Through a friend’s referral, I brought my mum to see Dr Ganesh as she had been complaining about abdominal pain for days. She lost her appetite and was in a lot of pain. My greatest fear was cancer. Thankfully, from the CT scan, Dr Ganesh diagnosed that the cause of the pain was gallbladder stones. He proceeded to schedule a procedure for my mother to have the stones removed and the operation was very successful.
We also went for further checks and thankfully, ruled out cancer. My mother who is now in her 70s is now feeling much better under the care of the G&L team.
Thank you for the great work, Dr Ganesh and team. God Bless!
5 Stars
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Dr. Ganesh Ramalingam
Specialist in General Surgery
As a strong proponent of treating the patient holistically instead of just their condition, Dr Ganesh Ramalingam advises patients as to how they can manage their daily habits and diets to lead healthier lifestyles. As a consultant with G&L Surgical Clinic specialising in General Surgery, he sees many patients with conditions related to the stomach and is skilled in bariatric surgery, upper GI and hernia surgery, advanced laparoscopic surgery, endoscopies, and trauma.
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