Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

The gallbladder is an organ that stores bile produced by the liver. Bile is an essential enzyme that breaks down fat. The article explains that in response to a fatty meal, the gallbladder contracts and delivers bile into the intestine. This is to assist with the digestion of fat. When the gallbladder malfunctions, bile within the gallbladder becomes stagnated. It can then form stones, this can be clearly viewed under a medical microscope.

Gallstones cause symptoms especially when they lodge in the duct or tube that empties the gallbladder. The most frequent symptom of gallstones includes pain in the upper abdomen. This pain can either in the center of the abdomen just below the breastbone, or just beneath the right ribs. The pain in the condition usually lasts no more than minutes to a few hours. It most often occurs following after fatty meals. At times, in some cases, the pain can awaken the patient in the early morning hours. In some of the patients, the pain appears to penetrate through to the right back. In the condition, many patients report of nausea too. The article explains that if the stone that blocks the outlet of the gallbladder lodges, infection can set up in the gallbladder causing the complication of cholecystitis. This refers to the inflammation of the gallbladder and this is a serious condition. This can then lead to the necessity of emergency treatment.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy refers to an operation for the removal of the gallbladder without a major incision. The operation is performed through three or four tiny punctures holes. The surgeon inserts a long telescope, called a laparoscope, through one of the puncture holes. The laparoscope is used to enable the doctor to see what he or she is doing inside the abdomen during the procedure. In the process, long thin instruments are passed through the other holes to carry out the operation. The article explains that the instrument laparoscope is attached to a camera. The camera in turn enables the surgeon can view the operation on a television monitor. In the operation, the gallbladder is detached from the liver. Some clips are applied to the artery that supplies the gallbladder and to the gallbladder duct. The gall bladder duct is a small tube that drains the gallbladder into the bile duct. The gallbladder is then collapsed in the process. It is then drawn out through one of the punctures holes like an empty balloon. In order to have room for maneuverability during the procedure, the abdominal cavity is filled with carbon dioxide gas. With this, the surgeon can carry out the operation. At the end of the surgery, the gas is evacuated. The average hospital stay is eight to twenty four hours after the operation. Most of the patients are able to return to their normal activities within five to seven days.

The alternatives to laparoscopic cholecystectomy include chemical treatment to dissolve the stones with the aid of medical microscope. The technique works slowly and is only effective for certain types of stones. Some medicines are also given. Actigal is one dissolving medicine for gallstones. It must be taken for life. Traditional open gallbladder surgery requires a much larger incision. It causes discomfort for several days and disability for several weeks. Lithotripsy is another procedure hat uses shock waves to crush the gallstones. However, it has not been successful in long-term treatment of the condition. Read more on this subject