About this disease
What it is about
The bile juice ensures the absorption of fats into the body. In addition, the viscous secretion contains metabolic waste products and toxins that are excreted through the intestines. Gallstones are small stones in the gallbladder that consist of solidified bile. They occur in about 15% of people, but only a quarter of those affected actually develop symptoms.
Symptoms and consequences
Possible complaints include a feeling of fullness, biliary colic, inflammation of the gallbladder or a dreaded inflammation of the pancreas. If there are symptoms such as pain in the upper abdomen, which may also radiate to the back or right shoulder with possible simultaneous jaundice or fever and chills, action is called for.
What we do for you
Examination and diagnosis
The diagnosis of gallstones (cholecystolithiasis) or biliary calculi (sludge) is usually established by ultrasound examination. Here the accuracy is over 95%. In addition, a blood test is performed, which can provide indications of stones that have already slipped into the bile ducts or an inflammation.
Treatment
Gallstones that are discovered by chance and do not cause any symptoms do not usually require therapy. In the case of symptoms such as biliary colic), the first step is to relieve the pain. Then the gallbladder including the stones is removed. The operation is performed using the so-called keyhole technique (laparoscopic cholecystectomy). Under the control of a camera, the entire gallbladder can be removed through four small incisions at low risk.