Gallstones

If you have gallstones, it can cause nausea and severe pain in the upper part of the abdomen. It sometimes requires an operation in which your gallbladder is removed. Read more about how gallstones develop, their symptoms, and how we can treat you for your pain.

What are gallstones?

In short, gallstones are small stones in the gallbladder or in the bile ducts. They are completely normal to develop and are typically formed due to dietary habits, lifestyle and probably hereditary factors. Gallstones can be from millimetres to a few centimetres in size and are located just below the liver in the gallbladder.

In the vast majority of cases, the symptoms of gallstones will resolve after a few hours of pain. Forming gallstones is not necessarily a dangerous condition. If, however, you develop inflammation of the gallbladder, or if a gallstone becomes lodged in the bile duct, you can experience severe and prolonged pain and possibly develop jaundice. Gallstones are seen in rare cases in children, but more frequently in adults.

The symptoms will typically be in the right side of the abdomen below the right rib cage and with radiation to the right shoulder or back. This pain is called a gallstone attack. Some pain resolves on its own within a few hours, but you may also need an emergency operation. You can develop a risk of jaundice and inflammation of the gallbladder.

At CPH Privathospital we are specialists in the surgical part of gastrointestinal diseases. Here you receive experienced treatment of, among other things, stones in the gallbladder. Read more about operation and admission with us.

Why you develop gallstones in the gallbladder

Your liver produces liquid bile, which helps digest fat in the body. Here the function of the gallbladder is to store the bile until the body needs it. When you eat food, the gallbladder contracts and empties the bile into the duodenum.

Unfortunately, there is an increased risk of gallstones if there is an imbalance between the constituents of the bile. If, for example, you eat very fatty food, it can create too high a content of cholesterol in the bile. In addition, gallstones can also be hereditary or occur due to pregnancy, rapid weight loss, diabetes and obesity.

When the gallbladder then contracts to empty the bile, these gallstones can become lodged and block. This is where you can experience unpleasant pain and gallstone attacks. If the stone passes from the gallbladder and you get a stone in the bile duct, you can also develop jaundice. This is seen, among other things, by pale stools and dark urine as well as yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes.

Recognise symptoms of gallstones

It is not always the case that you notice symptoms of gallstones. You can live with them without it hurting. However, do you experience mild to severe pain in the right part of the abdomen – possibly with radiation to the back? Then it may be a sign of stones in the gallbladder. 

The pain usually starts slowly and gets worse over time. You will typically feel it after a meal with high fat content or at night, and it can last for several hours. If a stone in the bile duct stops the bile, the skin will become yellow. 

Here you should be aware of attacks of pain where you also develop fever and/or jaundice. It may be a sign of cholecystitis. If the skin becomes yellowish, it may be a symptom that a stone has become lodged in the deep bile ducts.

Whether your symptoms have come suddenly or have been there for a long time, you should be seen by a surgical consultant. It is important that you receive the correct diagnosis for your abdominal pain. Contact your doctor if you often have abdominal pain or can see signs of jaundice.

At CPH Privathospital we aim to offer you the best treatment, where you are at the centre. You are therefore always welcome to contact us if you have questions.

Receive professional treatment of gallstones and gallbladder

Removal of the gallbladder is the most common solution for severe gallstone pain. It is done by means of a laparoscopic operation. In this way, the risk of new gallstones is removed. You can live perfectly well without the gallbladder.

The operation is performed by a thin cannula blowing air into the abdominal cavity so that the abdominal wall lifts. This creates space to operate. Small tubes are then passed through some incisions in the abdominal wall. Using a small laparoscope, the surgeon then loosens and removes the gallbladder. You can go home the same day, but expect sick leave for two to ten days. If you have had an open operation, you should expect to be on sick leave for two to three weeks.

During the operation you are under general anaesthesia. At the same time, we also make sure to give you antibiotics, so there is less risk of infection in the wounds. Afterwards, our consultant will tell you how it went and how you should behave after the operation.

Are you nervous about the operation? At CPH Privathospital we value the good patient experience. Here there is no rushed surgery or easy solutions. Our dedicated team works according to high standards. If you have questions, we always answer them so you can feel safe. Before, during and after treatment.
Read more about removal of the gallbladder here.