Gallbladder Surgery
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Inflammation of the
gallbladder (cholecystitis) secondary to gallstone formation is quite
common in the U.S. By age 65, 10% of men and 20% of women have
gallstones. Most are cholesterol stones associated with obesity and
rapid weight loss. Stones are also seen in people with hemolytic anemias
such as sickle cell disease.
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When a gallstone gets
wedged in the outflow duct of the gallbladder, it produces colic, a
severe, crampy pain the right upper quadrant of the abdomen that brings
the patient to the Emergency Room.
Laparoscopic
Cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder) is the treatment of choice
for cholecystitis (inflammation/infection of the gallbladder) and
symptomatic cholelithiasis (gallstones). This operation is done through
four tiny incisions, minimizing the trauma to the abdominal wall. Most
patients are discharged within 24 hours. Our surgeons perform hundreds
of these procedures annually and have extensive experience with
intraoperative cholangiography. This is a sensitive X-Ray examination
which is performed (during the surgery) by injecting dye into the bile
duct to determine if stones have passed from the gallbladder into the
rest of the biliary system. In addition to "routine" removal
of the gallbladder, these stones can be extracted from the bile duct
using a tiny second scope which is passed directly into the duct
utilizing picture-in-picture (PIP) technology in the laparoscopic
monitors. Until recently, this type of procedure could only be performed
via traditional ("open") surgery. Our surgeons’ ability to
perform this type of procedure laparoscopically significantly reduces
post-operative pain, the length of stay in the hospital and the need for
subsequent surgical or endoscopic intervention for bile duct stones.
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