About this disease
What it is about
Gallbladder inflammation is an inflammation of the gallbladder wall. It usually results from gallstones or biliary calculi. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped hollow organ located below the liver. It is usually eight to twelve centimeters long and four to five centimeters wide. The gallbladder stores and thickens the bile produced in the liver cells. This is needed to digest fats in the intestines.
Types
Gallbladder inflammation is caused by gallstones or biliary calculi in over 90 percent of cases. We then call it calcific cholecystitis. If gallbladder inflammation occurs without stones, it is called acute cholecystitis. A distinction is also made between acute and chronic cholecystitis.
Symptoms and consequences
The typical symptoms are pain in the right upper abdomen. They often occur initially in cramp-like waves, known as biliary colic. As the condition progresses, sufferers usually experience continuous pain in the right abdomen. If pressure is applied to this area, the pain intensifies and may radiate to the back, right shoulder or between the shoulder blades. It is not uncommon for fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting to occur at the same time. More rarely, jaundice occurs at the same time.
What we do for you
Examination and diagnosis
A physical examination, a blood test, a urine test and an ultrasound test are always performed to clarify an inflammation of the gallbladder. This allows gallbladder inflammation to be reliably diagnosed. Depending on the results, further investigations may follow, such as an ultrasound examination of the stomach and a CT or MRI scan.
Treatment
According to today's standard, the treatment of gallbladder inflammation is performed by surgical removal of the gallbladder using the keyhole technique. The gallbladder and the stones are removed through four small incisions under the control of a camera at low risk. In exceptional cases, gallbladder inflammation can also be treated with antibiotic therapy. However, it is strongly recommended that the gallbladder still be surgically removed later. As a rule, this is done after about six weeks.