The gallbladder is small, pear-shaped organ found near your liver and is part of the biliary system. The liver creates bile which is stored in the gallbladder before the bile is delivered to the small intestine. Bile functions to help digest and absorb fatty foods and fat-soluble vitamins. It also helps remove waste, like bilirubin, from the body.
The gallbladder can become inflamed, infected, and blocked for a multitude of reasons. The gallbladder can also develop gallstones which are formed when stored bile hardens into stone-like objects.
Common types of gallbladder disease include:
• Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder)
• Choledocholithiasis (plugged bile ducts due to gallstones)
• Necrosis or gangrene
• Acalculous gallbladder disease (inflammation without gallstones)
• Biliary dyskinesia (lower-than-normal functioning gallbladder)
• Growth of tissues
• Congenital defects
• Tumors of the gallbladder and bile ducts (link to bile duct tumors)
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis (scarring due to inflammation)
• Gallbladder polyps and cancer
Gallbladder diseases may or may not require surgery. A minimally-invasive laparoscopic procedure to remove the gallbladder can remove many of the symptoms associated with a range of gallbladder diseases. Other gallbladder diseases may require a more extensive surgery. Your MIIS surgeon can determine and explain options during the surgical consultation. Gallbladder surgery is a major operation that requires the patient to be placed under general anesthesia and will require post-surgical observation. The surgical care team at MIIS can discuss each procedure’s risks and recovery.