Gallstones can be painful, and the most effective treatment is gallbladder surgery, a procedure that can dramatically improve your quality of life. This procedure is among the many services available from the team at EAMC-Lanier Ambulatory Surgery Center, LLC, in Valley, Alabama. When you’re ready to learn more, scheduling an appointment online takes just moments. You’re also welcome to call and speak with an administrative professional regarding appointment availability.
Your gallbladder is a small organ that sits just below your liver on the right side of your abdomen. This organ holds bile, a digestive fluid that is released into your small intestine.
When that digestive fluid hardens, it collects into deposits called gallstones. They can be smaller than a grain of rice or as large as a golf ball. You might develop only a single gallstone or many, and some gallstones never create symptoms and require no treatment.
When a gallstone becomes lodged or trapped in a duct, pain will often quickly follow. Some of the symptoms of gallstones include:
A serious gallstone complication can cause intense pain, yellowing of the skin, or a high fever with chills. It’s essential to seek treatment if these conditions develop.
Gallbladder surgery, also called cholecystectomy, is a procedure to remove your gallbladder. Your provider will perform this procedure to treat gallstones, gallbladder inflammation, large gallbladder polyps, and pancreas inflammation that develops due to gallstones.
Many gallbladder surgeries are performed using laparoscopic techniques. This minimally invasive approach uses several small incisions. Your surgeon inserts a surgical tube equipped with a tiny light and camera is inserted into one incision, inserts slim surgical tools through other incisions to remove your gallbladder.
Your surgeon completes the surgery by carefully closing the incisions to reduce visible scarring. Adhering to the provided follow-up care instructions will speed the healing process.
Some gallbladder procedures require a traditional open surgical technique. With this approach, your surgeon creates a 5”-7” incision in your abdomen to gain access to your gallbladder. Open surgery is sometimes necessary for women in their third trimester of pregnancy, people with bleeding disorders, severe gallbladder disease, or those who are significantly overweight.
If you have additional questions about gallbladder surgery, schedule a consultation using the simple online booking tool. You can also book a visit over the phone.