Friday, July 29, 2016

Important Information On Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery Houston Residents Should Know

By Jeffrey Wilson


The gall bladder is a small tubular organ that is found adjacent to the liver. Its main function is to store and concentrate bile juice, an important chemical for the digestive process. Conditions affecting the organ such as the presence of bile stones often require surgical intervention. If they have been scheduled to undergo laparoscopic gallbladder surgery Houston patients need to know a number of things about the procedure.

Symptoms that suggest the presence of gall bladder disease include abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea and indigestion among others. Pain is particularly severe in the right upper abdominal region. When you visit your doctor, they will seek to evaluate you fully before the decision to have surgery is made. The evaluation will include getting a more detailed history of your condition and then conduct a physical examination.

This surgical operation is usually done when the patient has been put under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes three incisions in the abdomen to be used for the entry of the surgical instruments. An instrument known as a laparoscope is the main piece of equipment used and hence the name of the procedure. The laparoscope helps the surgeon to cut and suture as well as remove the gall stones.

A number of investigations will be requested to help the doctor in making the diagnosis. Ultrasound is among the most informative investigative modalities when the problem of gall stones is suspected. If the problem is complex, additional investigations such as Ct scans, X-rays and radionuclide images may be needed. Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, dietary modification may be recommended but surgery remains the only effective treatment.

The risk of complications is quite low. Those that have been reported commonly include, bloating, diarrhea, infections at the incision site, internal bleeds, injuries to vital organs such as the intestines and the common bile ducts by the instruments as well as the risk of react from the general anesthesia used. Less common complications include retention of gall stones in the abdomen, leakage of bile and injury to major blood vessels.

Since very small surgical cuts are used here, the duration of hospital stay is markedly reduced. In most centers, patients are allowed home on the same day or after 24 hours at the latest. This is in contrast to the average three days of hospitalization that are required after the open procedure. Resumption of normal routine also takes a shorter period of time (7 to 10 days as compared to 4 to 6 weeks).

Due to the small size of the incisions used, hospital stay has been markedly shorted. Laparoscopic gall bladder surgery is regarded a day case in most centers. The patient can be allowed to go home as soon as they recover from the effects of the anesthesia which is usually one the same day that they undergo surgery. In the open procedure, they are retained for two to four days. Resumption of the normal routine is usually after one week.

The removal of gall stones using laparoscopic surgery is by far the most popular treatment for this condition. It is a minimally invasive technique that is associated with very few complications. Additionally, it is a procedure that can be done in virtually any individual with the problem.




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