5 Signs That You May Need Gallbladder Surgery

Your gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ positioned just beneath your liver. Its job? To store and concentrate bile, an essential digestive fluid made by your liver that breaks down dietary fats and helps remove toxins and waste products from your body.   

But when your gallbladder is struck by disease and no longer functions normally, its presence becomes more harmful than helpful. Surgical gallbladder removal — or a cholecystectomy — is the best way to prevent further complications and protect your health. 

As a board-certified general surgeon specializing in gallbladder removal at Q&S Surgical in Decatur and Lithonia, Georgia, Dr. Luis A. Quinones provides swift and effective relief for people diagnosed with acute or chronic gallbladder conditions. 

Read on to learn about the most common form of gallbladder disease and explore five signs that indicate you may need gallbladder surgery. 

The primary forms of gallbladder disease 

The term gallbladder disease covers any condition that impairs gallbladder health and function. Gallbladder disease may not only affect the organ itself, cut it may affect the bile ducts that connect it to your liver, pancreas, and small intestine. Gallbladder diseases include: 

• Gallstones (cholelithiasis)
• Acute or chronic inflammation (cholecystitis) 
• Functional gallbladder disorder (biliary dyskinesia)
• Cancer of the gallbladder or bile ducts
• Gangrene (gallbladder tissue death)

Gallstones account for most cases of gallbladder disease.  These stones can block the flow of bile out of it and cause acute cholecystitis, which can progress to gangrene, causing a lifethreatening infection in the abdomen.  In less severe cases, the inflammation is chronic, meaning that the inflammation is slowly smoldering but may not be an emergency. 

Signs you may need gallbladder surgery 

Gallstones affect up to 15% of adults in the United States at any given time, or upwards of 25 million adults. Of the nearly one million Americans diagnosed with gallstones each year, one in four ends up needing gallbladder surgery to correct the problem.  

Signs you may need gallbladder surgery include: 

1. Frequent indigestion

Chronic indigestion — or frequent bloating, belching, heartburn, or abdominal discomfort after eating — can be caused by everything from stress and food intolerances to eating too much or too quickly. It’s also a common symptom of gallbladder problems, including gallstones.  

When frequent indigestion can’t be definitively linked to something else, it’s worth considering whether it may be a symptom of gallbladder inflammation or gallstones. 

2. Upper abdominal pain

The main symptom of gallbladder disease or problematic gallstones is localized pain called epigastric pain, which occurs in the upper middle part of your abdomen.  The more characteristic pain of gallstones is in the right side of your abdomen between the top of your stomach and the bottom of your ribcage. 

A gripping early symptom 

Biliary colic, the most common early symptom of gallbladder disease, causes gripping upper abdominal pain that comes and goes. Typically occurring after mealtime, this pain may radiate into your upper back or right shoulder and last for a few minutes or hours. 

A serious gallbladder attack

Acute cholecystitis — commonly known as a gallbladder attack — is sudden gallbladder inflammation and pain caused by a blockage of gallstones or sludge in the gallbladder itself or a bile duct. A gallbladder attack feels like a more intense, persistent form of biliary colic pain that may last several hours or days.

A gallbladder attack’s sharp and unrelenting pain can radiate into your back and become more severe when you take a deep breath; it can also make your right upper abdomen feel tender to the touch.  

3. Nausea and vomiting 

All gallbladder disease forms can leave you nauseous or make you vomit. With biliary colic or chronic gallbladder inflammation, nausea and/or vomiting are most likely to occur after a meal, along with excess gas, indigestion, and heartburn. 

When these symptoms occur during a gallbladder attack or gallstone pancreatitis, they’re often accompanied by severe upper abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and fever. 

4. Fever and body chills

A fever is your immune system’s attempt at fighting off infection by raising your core body temperature. A fever and body chills are common symptoms of most infections, including those that affect the gallbladder and its bile ducts. 

When accompanied by severe, persistent upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting may be a sign of a gallbladder attack or another serious gallbladder complication that requires prompt evaluation and care (usually gallbladder surgery) to relieve symptoms and prevent the infection from spreading.

5. Jaundice appearance 

Gallbladder disease can also cause jaundice, which causes your skin, the whites of your eyes, and your mucous membranes to turn yellow because of high levels of a yellow-orange bile pigment called bilirubin in your blood.    

Gallbladder disease can cause high blood bilirubin levels if gallstones become lodged in the common bile duct — or the duct that’s shared by your liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. 

Yes, you can live without your gallbladder

In most cases, removing the organ is the best way to remedy gallbladder disease. You can lead a healthy and perfectly normal life without your gallbladder. 

If you suspect you might need gallbladder surgery, Q&S Surgical can help. Call the office today, or click online to schedule an appointment with Dr. Quinones any time.