gallbladder
Everything about the gallbladder and gallbladder surgery
– Gallbladder is a part of the body that as long as it does its job properly, no one notices its presence and does not care about it. Many times, it is this lack of attention to the gallbladder and its demands that expresses its discomfort with severe pains. That’s when a person’s life is disturbed and all his attention is focused on this gall bladder.
We all pay special attention to our heart, brain and even skin. Because we all know that these are the main and important organs of the body and their disease will threaten our lives. But what about other obscure body parts? For example, the gallbladder, what do you know about it?
Here we want to review the signs and symptoms of gallbladder problems and discomforts, but first, let’s get to know it better and what it does for us.
1- Gallstones
This condition refers to a condition where small stones or sometimes a large stone are formed inside the gallbladder.
In some cases, gallstones lead to severe pain in a person, but about 90% of people with gallstones do not have any symptoms.
In some cases, gallstones stay with a person for more than 10 years without causing any symptoms.
2- biliary colic
Biliary colic refers to a more serious condition in which gallstones create an obstruction in the bile duct. In this case, the gallbladder will contract strongly to remove this blockage and the person will feel severe pain. These severe contractions and pains associated with biliary colic usually last one to two hours. But since they are invasive and reversible, they stay with the person until the person thinks about treatment.
3- Gallbladder inflammation
Gallbladder inflammation can be caused by gallstones, alcohol consumption, infections, and even tumors that cause excessive bile secretion. But again, the most common cause will be gallstones. Gallbladder inflammation can last for several weeks. Fever is not common in this disease.
In 20% of cases, the inflamed gallbladder may be attacked by infectious bacteria and become infected. Sometimes it also happens that the gallbladder ruptures, in which case it is immediately removed by surgery.
Do not forget that frequent attacks of pain in this disease will make it necessary to see a doctor, especially when these pains are accompanied by fever.
Although the specific signs and symptoms of each of the mentioned diseases are different from each other, but in general there are symptoms that show a problem and abnormality in the gallbladder.
The most common symptoms and signs of gallbladder diseases are as follows:
– Severe pain in the abdomen
– Pain that hits the right shoulder and sometimes involves the back.
– Pain that worsens after eating food, especially if fatty food has been consumed.
– Pain that is sharp and crampy.
– Pain that is aggravated by a deep breath.
– Pain in the chest area
– Heartburn, indigestion and a feeling of gas in the stomach
– Feeling of fullness in the stomach
– Nausea, vomiting and fever
– Trembling
– Feeling of pain when touching the abdomen, especially in the upper right part of the abdomen
– Jaundice (skin and eyes)
– Abnormal stool color change (especially lighter and gray)
Some gallbladder problems, such as small gallstones that do not block the bile duct, usually do not cause any symptoms or discomfort.
These types of stones are usually detected by chance during X-ray imaging for another disease or surgery in the abdomen.
Reduce your blood fat
Bile is formed in the liver and stored in the gallbladder and used in the large intestine to digest fats. If there is a lot of cholesterol in your bile, the possibility of gallstone formation increases. When we eat fatty foods, the gallbladder contracts to drain bile through a duct that ends in the large intestine. There, bile helps in the digestion of fats from the food consumed.
However, the high amount of cholesterol in the bile causes it to harden and form stones that range in size from a grain of sugar to a plum. Some of these stones fit comfortably in the gallbladder and do not cause any problems. But if they enter the bile duct, they will cause inflammation, severe pain and obstruction of the duct, which sometimes requires surgery.
Since the connection between stones and cholesterol is clear, it is necessary to eat more foods that reduce blood cholesterol. In addition, it is recommended to eat several light meals during the day, because in this way, the formation of more stones is prevented.
The right diet for the gallbladder
A gallbladder diet focuses on eliminating the risks that can lead to gallstone formation. This means that we should increase the consumption of foods that reduce cholesterol and contain nutrients and fiber necessary to keep the digestive system functioning at the highest possible level.
You should also reduce the consumption of fatty foods, which cause a lot of pressure on the gallbladder to break down and move through the digestive system. Reducing the consumption of fatty foods, in addition to reducing the risk of gallstones, helps maintain a healthy body weight and reduce The risk of high blood pressure or heart disease.
Eat these foods
Do not eliminate all fat from your diet (unless at the beginning of an attack or in the middle of an attack), note that eliminating fat from your diet completely can cause the gallbladder to shut down and stop producing bile. It is prevented, which is equally dangerous, so use fats that do not damage the gallbladder.
Flaxseed oil and omega-3 fats can be taken with meals to help break down foods without adding to the cholesterol content of foods.
Eating certain foods can help you reduce your risk of developing gallstones. Consume low-fat dairy products such as low-fat milk and avoid the consumption of extra oils in milk. Replace whole grains (bread, beans and pasta).
Whole grains provide more fiber and nutrients to help break down other foods in your system. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet has a similar effect. The high fiber content in fruits and vegetables also helps you feel full and not overeat because overeating causes excessive pressure on the gallbladder.
Get enough protein. Those on the gallbladder diet should be careful because different protein sources are high in oil and fat. Eating lean meat such as fish or chicken is essential to get protein and vitamin B12.
Alternative meat sources such as tofu or coffee beans can also be used to increase protein intake while avoiding high-fat foods. If you are using a prepared bean dish, read the label carefully to ensure that no pork has been used in the cooking process.
Adequate levels of caffeine – Some research has shown that consuming moderate levels of caffeine can reduce the risk of developing gallstones. Talk to your doctor before consuming to determine the appropriate amount of caffeine to drink.
Eat peanuts Studies have shown that eating peanuts or peanut butter reduces the risk of gallstones in women. Some studies have shown a 20 percent increase in gallbladder health for those who regularly consume these products.
A large part of the gallbladder diet revolves around avoiding unhealthy prepared foods. Processed foods such as ready meals, cookies, cakes or other desserts are high in fat and sugar, which can be unhealthy for gallbladder patients. These foods also have a high amount of sodium, which can cause digestive discomfort. Fried foods should be avoided. Limit cooking oil to lighter oils such as flaxseed, hemp, or olive oil, which have health benefits and lower cholesterol.
Protein sources should be carefully evaluated to ensure that they are not too high in cholesterol for a gallbladder patient. Red meat should be avoided due to the many health risks associated with it. If you get some of your protein from dairy, avoid milk, cheese, and other high-fat dairy products. You also need to be careful when choosing cheese because softer cheeses have more milk fat than harder cheeses. And cream cheese may also have an excessive amount of fat, which can be harmful to the gallbladder.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps break down cholesterol in bile. The results of American research show that the risk of developing gallstones is 13% lower among women who have high levels of vitamin C in their blood.
We recommend that you get 1000 mg of vitamin C daily. Reduce this amount if you experience breakouts.
Omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the amount of triglycerides and thus reduce blood cholesterol. If your triglyceride level is high, we recommend that you get between 3 and 5 grams of omega-3 daily.
Turmeric
Research results show that turmeric reduces gallbladder inflammation. Researchers believe that turmeric stimulates the flow and movement of bile. If you suffer from gallstones, you can use turmeric, but not in excess. Because excessive and excessive use of this spice can have the opposite effect. We recommend that you consume up to one tablespoon of turmeric daily.
Gallbladder diet chart
Eat these foods:
1-apple 2-garlic 3-apricot 4-grape 5-ocado 6-gavas plant 7-artichoke
8-Lemon 9-Beets 10-Melon 11-Types of berries 12-Okra 13-Broccoli
14-Papaya 15-Carrot 16-Pear 17-Celery 18-Osia 19-Coconut
20-Onion 21-Cucumber 22-Sweet potato 23-Bidaneh 24-Swiss beet leaf
25- Tomatoes and French fries 26- Figs 27- Watermelon 28- Green dandelion
Avoid eating these foods:
1-alcohol 2-grapefruit 3-artificial sweetener 4-glue 5-black and white tea
6-fat-rich milk 7-cauliflower 8-hydrogenated oils 9-cabbage 10-sauce
11-Coffee 12-Onion 13-Red pepper 14-Orange 15-Corn nuts 16-Pork 17-Chocolate ice cream 18-Soda 19-Egg 20-Non-alcoholic drinks 21-Chicken 22-White flour
What is the reason for gallbladder removal?
In general, the risk of developing gallstones is higher in women, especially pregnant women, the elderly, and diabetic patients, and sometimes it can also be due to hereditary factors. One of the main complications of gallstones is severe weight loss in a short period of time.
Other diseases of the gallbladder include: inflammation and infection of the gallbladder and cancer and inflammation of the pancreas. These cases can usually be diagnosed with blood tests, ultrasound, CT scan, etc., and are considered as the reason for removing the gallbladder.
Of course, this organ is usually harmless and when it does its job properly, no one notices its presence, but when a person has problems releasing bile or the bile ducts are closed in any way, a person needs surgery. In many cases, the gallbladder itself is removed, which does not cause a big problem for the person because after a period of time, the bile duct becomes wider and does the work of the gallbladder.
Gallbladder operation is performed in how many ways?
Due to the important and non-essential presence of the gallbladder in the body, doctors have recognized the best way to treat problems and diseases of the gallbladder is to remove the entire organ. Gallbladder operation can be done in the following two general ways:
Gallbladder laparoscopic surgery
In the laparoscopy operation, the least damage and complications are caused to the patient, and an expert surgeon can perform this operation with a few small slits of a few centimeters on the patient’s abdomen. To start this work, first they cut the person’s body and insert a camera, a light source and the necessary surgical tools into the abdomen, and using monitors that show the inside of the patient’s body, the gallbladder operation is performed and this organ is removed from the body. .
The complications of this surgery are much less than open surgery; There is no adhesion caused by open surgery in this procedure, the patient’s immune system is less disturbed, the possibility of wound infection is very low and the person can return home immediately after the surgery. Pain after laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is much less than open surgery, and the patient’s body looks more beautiful. For more information, you can watch the laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery video by Dr. Abdul Hosseini.
Gallbladder operation
Sometimes, for various reasons, the doctor cannot operate on the patient with the laparoscopic device; Risking the patient’s life due to cardiovascular problems, failure to detect the gallbladder with a camera, etc. are among the factors that make the doctor decide to remove this organ from the body through an open operation. Many times, the decision for open surgery is made during laparoscopic surgery, and in this method, a 15 cm incision is made on the patient’s body, and the duration of the person’s anesthesia is also increased.