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Gallbladder: Gallbladder Disease
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Gallbladder disease is a modern illness. An estimated twenty million Americans have gallbladder disease. The sole function of the gallbladder is to store bile, which is produced in the liver and aids in the digestion of fats in the small intestine. The gallbladder has become a prime target for surgical intervention; in fact, this is the most common type of major surgery. Sometimes it's done to reduce pain, sometimes to remove gallstones. It's especially common among women who are receiving estrogen replacement therapy, since estrogen stimu]ates the production of gallstones.
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Gallbladder disease is swelling of the gallbladder. This pear-shaped organ under the liver stores bile, fluid that helps with digestion. Gallbladder disease often occurs with gallstones. You can have gallstones without any symptoms. However, if the stones are large, they can block the duct that leads from the gallbladder. This can cause pain and require treatment.
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Gallbladder cancer is sometimes found as an incidental pathology finding after a cholecystectomy is performed for reasons other than cancer. If the tumor is carcinoma in situ (Tis) or only invades the lamina propria (T1a) and the margins of resection are negative, then postoperative observation alone is acceptable. If the tumor is T1b or greater or the margins of resection are positive, then further surgical resection is necessary if no metastatic disease is present on evaluation (CT, MRI, chest radiograph). This additional surgery should include partial hepatic resection and regional lymphadenectomy (porta hepatis, gastrohepatic ligament, and retroduodenal lymph nodes). A bile duct resection may ... be necessary depending on tumor size and location. If the original surgery was performed via a laparoscopic approach, then the port sites should also be resected to avoid tumor seeding.
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Gallbladder disease, gallstones, cancer, or other abnormalities can cause pain and other symptoms. A gallbladder condition might be suspected if a patient has chronic or occasional pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. The pain may be stabbing and intense with sudden onset or it may be more of a dull, occasional ache. Loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting can ... occur. Fever may indicate the presence of infection. Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, may also indicate that the gallbladder is involved.
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Gallbladder disease, including gallstones and an inflamed gallbladder, is closely connected with a Western diet: high in refined carbohydrates and animal protein and low in fiber. The first step--in avoiding gallstones, and preventing an attack if you already have them, is to eliminate aggravating (fatty) foods. In order to digest them, your gallbladder will go into overdrive and might force a stone into the duct, causing a gallbladder attack.
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Gallbladder cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the tissues of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ that lies just under the liver in the upper abdomen. The gallbladder stores bile, a fluid made by the liver to digest fat. When food is being broken down in the stomach and intestines, bile is released from the gallbladder through a tube called the common bile duct, which connects the gallbladder and liver to the first part of the small intestine.
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Gallbladder Disease