Gallstones are hardened deposits of bile that can form in your gallbladder. Bile is a digestive fluid produced in your liver and stored in your gallbladder. When you eat, your gallbladder contracts and empties bile into your small intestine.
The gallbladder is a small fig-sized organ that is part of the digestive system and lies below the liver in the upper right abdomen. It's a pouch that stores and releases bile, a green-yellow liquid that helps with digestion.
Gallstones are very common. People can have gallstones for some years without even being aware of them. However, if a gallstone becomes lodged in the opening of the gallbladder, or travels beyond the gallbladder, it can lead to a number of conditions.
The part of the body that lies between the chest and the pelvis.
The exact cause of gallstones is unknown, but they may be due to an imbalance in bile creation and storage. Bile helps the body to break down cholesterol and some fats and fat-soluble vitamins, so they can be absorbed by the body. Bile also helps rid the body rid of excess cholesterol, bilirubin and drug by-products. When you eat these substances, the gallbladder contracts and bile is secreted into the small intestine via biliary ducts.
Gallstones may be due to:
A type of fat produced by the body that is necessary for metabolism.
The orange-yellow pigment formed in the liver by the breakdown of red blood cell proteins.
Risk factors for gallstones include:
Scarring of liver tissue, which the irreversible replacement of normal liver cells by fibrous cells. Cirrhosis is the result of chronic liver damage.
A metabolic disorder that is caused by problems with insulin secretion and regulation and which is characterized by high blood sugar levels. Also known as diabetes mellitus.
A unit of inheritance (heredity) of a living organism. A segment of genetic material, typically DNA, that specifies the structure of a protein or related molecules. Genes are passed on to offspring so that traits are inherited, making you who you are and what you look like.
There are three distinct types of gallstones: cholesterol, pigmented and mixed. Knowing what they are made of is important, as it determines how well they will respond to treatment.
They are usually yellowish-green in color and are made from solidified cholesterol. They may form when your gallbladder does not empty properly, or your bile contains too much bilirubin, cholesterol, or too little bile salts.
These are small, dark-looking stones made from bilirubin pigments and are usually small and numerous. Their cause is unknown, but may be due to over-production of bilirubin, liver disease or other underlying health conditions.
These are the most common type of gallstone and usually grow in batches. They are made from salts and cholesterol.
A type of fat produced by the body that is necessary for metabolism.
The orange-yellow pigment formed in the liver by the breakdown of red blood cell proteins.
The symptoms you experience will depend on the size, type and location of your gallstones. Roughly 70% will lie dormant without bothering you at all [1] - 'silent gallstones' - and only be discovered during investigations for other conditions.
Gallstones in the gallbladder.
Gallstones can cause sudden, severe pain in the upper abdomen, which is known as biliary colic. A gallstone can become stuck in the opening of your gallbladder or in the ducts that carry bile from your liver to the gallbladder and to the intestine. The ducts and gallbladder try to contract their muscular walls against the blockage which results in increased pressure and pain. The pain can start suddenly - often within half an hour of eating fatty foods and can last for anywhere between a few minutes and several hours. It may start underneath your ribs, on your right-hand side or between your breastbone and belly button. Sometimes the pain will spread to your right shoulder blade, your back and your side. It may make it difficult to take a deep breath and might also wake you at night.
Gallstones can cause sudden and extreme pain, known as biliary colic.
Other symptoms can include:
Gallbladder - gallstones and surgery. Better Health Channel. Accessed 29 July 2014 from
Your doctor will take a full medical history to rule out other serious conditions with similar symptoms and ask if you have any close relatives with gallbladder issues. You may also be examined to identify the underlying cause for the pain. A common bedside test is to breathe in while your doctor taps on the area above your gallbladder. If there is extreme pain, it may help confirm a diagnosis of an inflamed gall bladder (cholecystitis), often caused by gallstones. This is called Murphy's sign.
Your doctor may perform blood tests including a full blood count, liver function test and pancreatic function test. The following tests can also be performed:
A substance that appears as an opaquer region on an X-ray.
Gallstones that are found incidentally and do not cause symptoms, generally do not need treatment. Where it does cause symptoms, the following treatments may be recommended:
During an acute attack of biliary colic, treatment focuses on managing the pain with pain-relief medications. It is important to be assessed by your doctor to accurately diagnose this condition, and exclude other serious causes. The pain typically settles within a few hours. However, it is generally advisable to maintain a low-fat diet in the days immediately following an attack, which can also be extended to long-term.
Once an individual develops symptoms and/or complications from gallstones, surgical treatment is generally recommended.
Gall bladder surgery is sometimes required to solve the problem of gallstones. As people age, they become more common. In fact, in the U.S., about 20 million people have gallstones, and each year about 700,000 patients have their gallbladders removed to relieve troublesome symptoms.
While the gallbladder isn't vital, it does help you digest fatty foods. After surgery, your liver still makes enough bile. But you might have difficulty processing fatty foods - at least for a while. More than half of patients who have their gallbladder removed have trouble digesting fat.
Surgery to remove your gallbladder, known as a cholecystectomy, is a relatively straightforward procedure. Your surgeon may use either laparoscopic (keyhole) or open surgery to remove your gallbladder. Both operations are performed under general anesthesia.
This is the most common, and least invasive, type of surgical removal of the gallbladder. It uses small incisions in the abdomen, to allow slender surgical instruments and a camera, to carefully remove the gallbladder under vision. The gallbladder is often removed through one of the small incisions and sent to the laboratory for further examination. Recovery from laparoscopic cholecystectomy is usually rapid, requiring on average one night in hospital, and then two weeks prior to return to normal activities.
In some circumstances, your surgeon may prefer to do open surgery. This involves making a 4-6 inch cut in your abdomen to reach your gallbladder and remove it. This is a more extensive procedure, which is generally performed for more difficult cases. You will probably stay in hospital for 3-5 days and return to normal activities after six weeks.
With either procedure, the specific risks are injury to the delicate bile ducts, liver, bowel and other intra-abdominal structures. To help reduce the risk of inadvertent injury to the bile ducts, an intra-operative cholangiogram is usually performed. This is where radiopaque dye is injected through the ducts, at the time of operation, and an X-ray performed. This study helps identify any bile duct injuries, abnormal anatomy and any gallstones that may have migrated through the ducts.
Occasionally, medical treatment can be used either alone or in combination with surgical treatments. These are more effective for small gallstones of less than four tenths of an inch in size, and in individuals with an otherwise normal gallbladder. These treatments include:
If you have gallstones that are small and do not contain calcium, you may be offered ursodeoxycholic acid to dissolve them. This treatment takes up to two years to work though and is not considered very effective, as your stones tend to return once you stop taking it.
Lithotripsy uses sound waves to break up small, soft stones and is only used on a minority of people.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is used to remove gallstones from your bile duct by artificially widening it, or making an incision. Sometimes a small tube, called a stent, may be left in place to keep your bile duct open. If you have stones inside your gallbladder, they will be left in place.
A flexible tube called an endoscope is fed into the first part of your small intestine via your mouth and a temporary, radiopaque dye is squirted into your biliary ducts. You will then have an X-ray to examine your biliary ducts and check for stones. Using an attachment on the endoscope, your surgeon can try to remove any stones blocking your ducts, or let them pass into your small intestine.
The part of the body that lies between the chest and the pelvis.
A chemical element, important for many biological functions. Particularly central to maintaining bone and tooth health.
A thin, flexible tube with an attached light and camera that is used for viewing internal body parts.
The radiological imaging and examination of the bile ducts, commonly used to locate the presence of any obstruction.
A substance that appears as an opaquer region on an X-ray.
Gallstones can lead to a number of different complications, which include:
Acute cholecystitis is the acute inflammation and/or infection of the gallbladder. This can occur when a stone completely blocks the opening to your gallbladder or if the ducts draining the gallbladder become blocked. Sometimes cholecystitis can occur without any stones, due to the build up of thick bile. Cholecystitis presents similar to biliary colic, except the pain can be longer lasting. Additional tests can help differentiate between the two conditions. Cholecystitis can lead to severe gallbladder infection, sepsis (infection spreading into the blood), jaundice, and/or an abscess. Prompt treatment with pain-relief medications, antibiotics, and timely surgery are recommended.
This is inflammation of your bile ducts, which can be caused by stones and/or infection. You may develop a fever, jaundice, chills, confusion, itchy skin and abdominal pains. This is a serious medical condition that warrants treatment with intravenous antibiotics and removal of the offending gallstone(s), if present.
If a gallstone moves and blocks the duct leading to your pancreas (part of your digestive system), this can cause inflammation. You may feel a sudden, dull but severe pain in the upper center of your stomach. The pain may move along your back and get worse after you have eaten. You may develop diarrhea, sickness, vomiting and a high temperature. Hospitalization is usually required, with good recovery rates. Treatment may include pain-relief medications, antibiotics, simple diet and removal of the offending gallstones, if present.
When the ducts from the liver are blocked, bile cannot reach the intestine or gallbladder and it is 'backed up' in the liver. This in turn results in an increase in the bilirubin substance in the blood stream. High levels of bilirubin in the blood turn your skin and whites of your eyes yellow (jaundice), and your urine dark in color, as the kidneys have to excrete the excess bilirubin. Your stools may be pale and have a high fat content. Your skin may also be itchy as the bile is an irritant.
There are numerous causes for jaundice, however, gallstones causing an obstruction within the bile ducts is a potential cause.
Cancer of the gallbladder is incredibly rare, but a potentially serious complication. High levels of calcium in the wall of your gallbladder and a family history of gallbladder cancer are risk factors. It may be considered safer to remove your gallbladder as a precaution if you have these risk factors. Symptoms are high fever, jaundice and pain in the abdomen but there may also be no symptoms in early stages.
Gallstone ileus occurs when a stone travels through a fistula, an abnormal tunnel between the gallbladder and the bowel, and causes a blockage of the small bowel. This occurs mainly in elderly people. Symptoms may include abdominal bloating with pain, nausea, vomiting and constipation. Gallstone ileus requires immediate medical attention, as your bowel may perforate.
The part of the body that lies between the chest and the pelvis.
A chemical element, important for many biological functions. Particularly central to maintaining bone and tooth health.
An organ located behind the stomach that secretes insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream and digestive enzymes into the intestines.
The orange-yellow pigment formed in the liver by the breakdown of red blood cell proteins.
In the majority of cases, gallstones are symptom-free and you will not need any treatment. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly may help keep you symptom-free and reduce your risk of developing gallstones. If you do decide to lose weight, do it gradually, as yo-yo dieting and skipping meals can lead to further gallstone formation.
Eating a healthy diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables and less fatty foods is the best way to prevent gallstones. Getting regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight is also recommended. Visit your doctor to discuss your cholesterol levels and get a referral to your local dietician if you are concerned about developing gallstones.
A type of fat produced by the body that is necessary for metabolism.