Is Your Stomach Healthy? – Gallstones

Gallstones – A Common Digestive Disorder

Among digestive disorders today, gallstones are one of the most common. This condition affects people across all age groups. However, there are many myths, doubts, and misconceptions about gallstones—even among educated people. In this article, I aim to clarify the most important facts about gallstones.

Structure and Function of the Gallbladder

A common misconception is that bile is produced in the gallbladder. In truth, bile is produced in the liver, not the gallbladder. The bile flows from the liver through bile ducts to the small intestine, where it helps digest food—especially fatty foods.

The gallbladder acts as a storage unit along this pathway, storing about 30 ml of bile. When we eat, especially fatty food, the gallbladder squeezes and releases bile into the small intestine to aid digestion.

How Do Gallstones Form?

Gallstones generally form due to two main reasons:

1. Irregular eating habits: Skipping meals or eating at odd times leads to stagnation of bile in the gallbladder, which thickens and crystallizes into stones.
2. High cholesterol in bile: The bile becomes saturated with cholesterol and forms stones.

The first type results in dark-colored stones, while the second leads to yellow cholesterol stones.

Gallstones can affect anyone, but those who are overweight, middle-aged, or women are more prone. Theres even a saying in English: “fat, fertile, female, and forty.”

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Gallstones may or may not produce symptoms. Common symptoms include:

• Loss of appetite
• Bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Excessive belching
• Indigestion
• Sometimes, jaundice
  
   

Gallstones are easily detected through ultrasound scans, and they are often found during routine master health checkups.

Treatment Options

In most cases, medications are not effective. In the early stage called “sludge” (a semi-solid phase), medicines might work. But once the sludge hardens into stones, medication no longer helps.

The only permanent solution is to surgically remove the gallbladder. While this surgery used to involve open abdominal procedures, today it is done using laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery—minimally invasive and almost painless. This technique was first widely used for gallbladder surgery.

Patients can now go home the same day or the next day and resume normal activities quickly.

Common Questions About Gallbladder Surgery

Can the stones be removed without removing the gallbladder?

Many ask, “In kidney stones, only the stones are removed. So why remove the whole gallbladder here?”

The answer: Gallstones form because the gallbladder isnot functioning properly. Removing only the stones doesnot solve the problem—theyoll return. Hence, removing both the stones and the gallbladder is the complete cure.

Also, no existing medical technique can remove just the stones from the gallbladder without recurrence.

Can I eat normally after gallbladder removal?

Yes! A 36-year-old woman suffered for 3 years because she believed removing her gallbladder would prevent her from enjoying food or dining out. After explaining the truth, we performed scarless surgery and sent her home in good health.

You can eat both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food as usual. No permanent dietary restrictions are required.

Will digestion be affected?

A common concern is, “If the gallbladder is removed, who will do its job?”

The answer: The bile ducts themselves take over the function of storing and delivering bile. So, digestion remains completely normal, with no change in bile quantity or quality.

Will I gain weight after surgery?

There is no connection between gallbladder removal and weight gain. This is a myth, especially among women.

Does the size or number of stones matter?

Whether you have small or large stones, the treatment is the same. In fact, small stones can be more dangerous—they can escape the gallbladder, enter the bile duct, and cause serious complications like jaundice or pancreatitis.

So removing the gallbladder regardless of stone size is the safest way to avoid these risks.

In Summary

Gallstones are very common today, across all age groups. Awareness about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments is essential.

With proper understanding, there is no need to fear gallstones or their treatment.