The process of removing the gallbladder through surgery is known as a cholecystectomy. This type of surgical procedure is a low-risk medical technique that can provide relief from gallstone pains. A person may need gallbladder surgery if pain and inflammation from gallstones do not respond to medications or other treatments.
Gallstones Formation
The hard particles that develop in the gallbladder are called gallstones. A gallstone’s size can range from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a golf ball. Gallbladder surgeons often point out to imbalances in the substances that produce bile as the culprit for gallstone formation. However, there are other risk factors such as pregnancy, being overweight and having a family history of gallstones.
To reduce the risk of inflammation and pain, doctors often recommend a change in a person’s diet or may prescribe pain medications. However, if it causes severe pain, discomfort, and become life-threatening, gallbladder surgeons may recommend gallbladder surgery.
A person may undergo gallbladder surgery and still live a normal life. In such cases that the gallbladder is removed, bile– that is produced by the liver and normally stored in the gallbladder– will flow directly through the common bile duct to the duodenum.
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Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
This is a minimally invasive procedure where gallbladder surgeons make small incisions in the patient’s abdomen. A laparoscope (a thin tube with small cameras attached) is then inserted through the incision which serves as a camera inside the person’s body and sends a magnified image through a video monitor outside. It provides surgeons a closer view of the person’s organs. While watching the monitor and the patient under general anesthesia, gallbladder surgeons then remove the gallbladder.
You may have gallbladder surgery as an outpatient, or stay a day or two in the hospital. The person can resume regular activities in about a week with fewer complications and faster recovery period. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy is an effective and safe procedure since it gets rid of gallstone in the gallbladder. However, it does not remove stones in the common bile duct.
This is why a comprehensive medical evaluation by your doctor, in consultation with certified gallbladder surgeons trained in laparoscopy, should be completed to determine if laparoscopic cholecystectomy is an appropriate surgical procedure for you.
Medical studies show that complications on this type of gallbladder removal are even less or even comparable to open gallbladder surgery when carried out by a skilled surgeon.
Open Surgery
With the advent of modern technology, open surgery has become less of an option for gallbladder removal. In almost all cases a laparoscopic or robotic approach is preferred, and open surgery is only done if absolutely necessary. The decision to perform open cholecystectomy is a decision made by surgeons before or on the actual operation.
Although the most preferred gallbladder removal surgery technique is by using the laparoscope, gallbladder surgeons should also be comfortable enough to perform open surgery on patients, if needed.
Gallbladder Surgeon in Katy, TX
Experience, skill and exercising appropriate clinical judgment should not be compromised when it comes to surgeries. Gallbladder removal surgery should only be carried out by competent gallbladder surgeons with years of experience. A native Texan and well-renowned gallbladder surgeon like Dr. William Clay Albrecht, MD, FACS has performed thousands of gallbladder removal surgeries in Katy.
Accuracy in surgery can only be achieved by the best surgeons with outstanding safety record, and Dr. Albrecht exemplifies precision and excellence with his proven safety record and good rapport with his patients, and he keeps this integrity in all aspects of his professional life.
Schedule an appointment with the best gallbladder surgeon in Katy, TX