Gallstones

Gallstones are stones that form in the gallbladder and are most commonly made of cholesterol. They can vary in size from 1-2mm to more than 2cm in size. Many people will be unaware that they have gallstones, the gallstones often not causing any symptoms.  Gallstones can though cause intermittent abdominal pain, which can be very severe, due to gallstones intermittently blocking the flow of bile out of the gallbladder, this pain being known as ‘biliary colic’. This pain most often affects the right upper abdomen but can spread to the back and across the upper abdomen. Due to this blockage the gallbladder can become inflamed, known as cholecystitis.  This may require surgery to remove the gallbladder. On occasions gallstones can pass from the gallbladder into the bile duct and block the bile duct, causing the onset of jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), and this will require an endoscopic procedure to remove the stones from the bile duct before surgery to remove the gallbladder can take place. Infections can also develop within the inflamed gallbladder, for which antibiotics may be needed.

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