The gall bladder is a tubular organ found adjacent to the liver. It is integrally involved in the process of digestion by releasing the all-important bile juice into the digestive tract. The organ is sometimes affected by disease processes that include, among others, gall stones, infections and cancers. Surgery is often required whenever such conditions are encountered. If they have been scheduled to have laparoscopic gallbladder surgery Houston residents need to understand a number of things.
One has to be taken through several investigations before the decision to have the surgery is made. A number of imaging studies are usually required to help make a diagnosis as well as assess whether surgery is beneficial in a given case. Ultrasound and CT scan are among the most commonly used imaging studies. Magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography is a form of endoscopy used to assess the biliary system.
Once a decision to have the operation has been made, you will be taken through a preparation stage. The stage includes, among other things, conducting a set of tests. The liver is often affected alongside the gall bladder in many cases and has to be assessed by doing liver function tests. During this stage, the doctor will advise you to stop consuming some foods or taking drugs that may increase your risk of bleeding.
In the procedure, three small incisions (ports) are made in the anterior abdominal wall. The ports are used for the entry of instruments and a camera which captures images from the surgical field that are projected onto a monitor. The surgeon uses the images to perform the operation. To make the organs more accessible, the abdomen is filled with a gas that distends the abdomen and makes each organ more distinct.
General anesthesia is usually used for this kind of operation. What this means is that you will be asleep for the entire duration of the operation. This should be two hours or less. The operation should restore the flow of bile immediately. In the event that the gallbladder is removed, the bile will no longer be stored as before and will instead flow continuously. Research has established that this does not affect digestion significantly.
There are a number of possible complications associated with this operation. They include bleeding, infections and injury to vital structures. In about 5% of procedures there is a need to switch from the laparoscopic to the open procedure due to complications. Common reasons as to why this may be necessary include, extensive inflammation and the presence of scar tissue that makes access to the gallbladder difficult.
Laparoscopy has several advantages over the open technique. One of the advantages is the fact that the surgical cuts are smaller hence the scars that are formed later on are less conspicuous. The smaller incisions also results in less bleeding and less pain. Perhaps the most important is the fact that the recovery time is significantly shortened.
Although one can safely have the procedure in an outpatient department, most surgeons prefer to admit the patients for one or two days. Resumption of normal routines is typically within seven to 10 days. There may be a bit of soreness around the incision sites but this should resolve within a couple of days. One can proceed with their normal diet after leaving the hospital.
One has to be taken through several investigations before the decision to have the surgery is made. A number of imaging studies are usually required to help make a diagnosis as well as assess whether surgery is beneficial in a given case. Ultrasound and CT scan are among the most commonly used imaging studies. Magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography is a form of endoscopy used to assess the biliary system.
Once a decision to have the operation has been made, you will be taken through a preparation stage. The stage includes, among other things, conducting a set of tests. The liver is often affected alongside the gall bladder in many cases and has to be assessed by doing liver function tests. During this stage, the doctor will advise you to stop consuming some foods or taking drugs that may increase your risk of bleeding.
In the procedure, three small incisions (ports) are made in the anterior abdominal wall. The ports are used for the entry of instruments and a camera which captures images from the surgical field that are projected onto a monitor. The surgeon uses the images to perform the operation. To make the organs more accessible, the abdomen is filled with a gas that distends the abdomen and makes each organ more distinct.
General anesthesia is usually used for this kind of operation. What this means is that you will be asleep for the entire duration of the operation. This should be two hours or less. The operation should restore the flow of bile immediately. In the event that the gallbladder is removed, the bile will no longer be stored as before and will instead flow continuously. Research has established that this does not affect digestion significantly.
There are a number of possible complications associated with this operation. They include bleeding, infections and injury to vital structures. In about 5% of procedures there is a need to switch from the laparoscopic to the open procedure due to complications. Common reasons as to why this may be necessary include, extensive inflammation and the presence of scar tissue that makes access to the gallbladder difficult.
Laparoscopy has several advantages over the open technique. One of the advantages is the fact that the surgical cuts are smaller hence the scars that are formed later on are less conspicuous. The smaller incisions also results in less bleeding and less pain. Perhaps the most important is the fact that the recovery time is significantly shortened.
Although one can safely have the procedure in an outpatient department, most surgeons prefer to admit the patients for one or two days. Resumption of normal routines is typically within seven to 10 days. There may be a bit of soreness around the incision sites but this should resolve within a couple of days. One can proceed with their normal diet after leaving the hospital.
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