Laparoscopic Gallbladder Stone Surgery (Gallstone Removal)

We, at Varanasi Hospital, provide the best treatment of gallbladder stones available in the world. Our experienced team of doctors suggest the most appropriate treatment to patients upon a series of tests. As it is always preferable to practice an advanced treatment procedure, we recommend laparoscopic gallbladder stone operation in Varanasi.

Patients have many queries about the advanced gallstone surgery and generally get nervous seeing the modern medical equipment. Most of the people are familiar with the traditional open surgeries, but not laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. However, laparoscopic surgery is the most accepted modern and minimally invasive surgery for gallbladder stone removal.

Gallbladder Stones – Solitary or Multiple

Gall Bladder stones are either solitary or multiple that develop in the gallbladder. It is a common problem for the people residing in Northern India. The size of a stone depends upon the amount of deposits hardened in the gallbladder. It can be as small as a sand grain or as big as a hockey ball.

Our honourable faculty members describe gallstone in the simplest of forms. In their words, various elements in our body like cholesterol, salt and bilirubin hardens in the gallbladder to form a stone. Though it is difficult to reveal the exact cause, some common reasons are bile duct infections and excess body fat.

CBD Exploration

If during the occurrence of gallstone, CBD gets blocked, then CBD exploration is needed to perform, in order to maintain the normal flow of bile juice. If CBD exploration is not done in time, the secreted bile juice can pile up back to the liver and thus, trigger a medical condition called jaundice.

We, at Varanasi Hospital, provide proper diagnosis and quality treatment such as CBD exploration along with treatment for several other conditions of liver and pancreas.

What are Gallstones?

Gallstones are stones formed within the gallbladder out of bile. Bile is a fluid that helps in digestion of fats made by the liver. The gallbladder is a sac located on the right-hand side of the body beneath the liver.

What are the Types of Gallstones?

There are two types of gallstones.

Cholesterol stones: Between 35% and 90% of gallstones are cholesterol stones. They are yellow, green, brown or white in color and form when there is too much cholesterol in the bile.

Pigment Gallstones: Between 2% and 30% of stones are pigment stones. They are made up of bilirubin. These stones are smaller and usually dark brown in color.

What Causes Gallstones?

The main causes of gallstones include the following factors:

Presence of high amount of cholesterol or bilirubin in the bile.

Liver or blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia.

When gallbladder does not empty completely.

Women are more at risk than men, especially pregnant women.

Consumption of oral contraceptives or cholesterol-lowering drugs Family history or hereditary.

People over 60 years of age.

People with diabetes

Being overweight

Being sedentary

Rapid weight loss

Excessive dieting

Diet that includes high fat and cholesterol; and low fiber

Native American Indians

What are the symptoms of gallstones

Gallstones are termed as ‘silent stones’ as there are hardly any early symptoms. The most primary symptom is excess pain which is often called as a gallbladder ‘attack’ as it occurs suddenly. The attack is generally followed by fatty meals and mostly occur at night. However, these are some of the primary symptoms of a gallstone attack.

Severe pain in the right upper abdomen that increases rapidly and lasts from few minutes to several hours.

Pain in the back between the shoulder blades.

Pain under the right shoulder.

Nausea and vomiting.

Excessive sweating.

Restlessness.

Fever.

Jaundice.

Indigestion, bloating, and belching.

Clay-colored stools.

Recurring intolerance to fatty or greasy foods

How are gallstones diagnosed?

Frequently, gallstones are discovered accidentally during treatment for other health conditions after a blood test, an X-Ray, a cholesterol test but only confirmed by an ultrasound. Let us take a look at the different procedures that are being undertaken to diagnose the presence of gallstones.

Blood tests

Liver Function tests

CT scan

Coagulation profile

Cholescintigraphy (HIDA Scan)

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)

How are gallstones treated?

There are two methods of treating gallstones. They are surgical or nonsurgical treatment. However, gallstones can be treated only if they have caused gallbladder infection, blockage of the bile ducts or if they have moved into the intestines from the bile ducts.

Nonsurgical treatment: A nonsurgical treatment is only adopted if the stones are too small or the patient’s condition is unfit for anesthesia and surgery. It does not provide a permanent cure but a temporary relief. Let us take a look at the different types of nonsurgical treatments.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy(ESWL): It is a device to generate shock waves to break gallstones into the pieces that can pass easily through the biliary system without causing a blockage.

Sphincterotomy: it is done by ERCP that requires a local anesthesia by using an electrically heated wire that opens the bile conduct. The stones are removed or left to pass into the intestine.

Dissolving gallstones: these are done by medications made from bile acids taken from the mouth to dissolve gallstones. It may take months or years to dissolve stones and may recur if the treatment is stopped.

Surgical Treatment: A surgery to remove the gallbladder or cholecystectomy is the best and only way to cure gallstones. There are two methods of doing the surgery.

Traditional Open Gallbladder surgery: Open Cholecystectomy(gallbladder surgery) involves one big abdominal incision and requires a minimum of 3 to 5 days of hospital stay. This is the oldest and the traditional way of performing the surgery.

Minimally Invasive or Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery: Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is also called Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. This is the most preferred way of gallstone operation at present. In this method, three to four incisions are made and a camera is inserted via one of the incisions to perform the surgery. It requires a one-night hospital stay followed by few days of rest at home and medications.

What are the advantages of Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery?

Generally, a gallstone removal involves surgery. Some health experts highlight the role of medicines in curing the problem; still, it is not recommended due to poor success rate. We prefer the mini-laparoscopic or laparoscopic gallbladder stone operation in Varanasi Hospital to provide patients with the following benefits:

Minimum scars of operation/Best cosmetics results.

Minimal stay in hospital (Max 24 hours).

Less Pain.

Quicker recovery/ Early return to work.

Less risk of complications

What are the pre and post-surgery instructions for a gallstone surgery?

Any surgery requires some preparation for an effective treatment. Let us consider some of the important points in order to make the surgery a successful one.

Pre-Surgery

The patient will be asked to undergo some preoperative tests including blood tests, x-ray, ultrasound, and a review of your medical history.

Follow the instructions of the surgeon. For e.g. what to eat or not, having someone to stay with you, showering instructions, arranging for a ride home and so on.

Post-Surgery

The patient is kept under observation for few hours.

Follow the diet and medication as prescribed by the surgeon.

Start moving as per the instruction as movement is highly encouraged.

The patient is discharged within 24 hours and can return to work within 72 hours.

Varanasi Hospital is one of the most renowned hospitals in the holy city of Varanasi. We provide 24 /7 support to our patients and treat them with utmost love and care on a priority basis. We specialize in gallstone treatment from ages. We recommend laparoscopic surgery for the best possible treatment. Dr. Manish Jindal is our experienced laparoscopic surgeon who has cured many patients in the past through the advanced laparoscopic method and continue to do so in the future.