Gallstones can be very painful and hard to get rid of without surgery. Their presence can cause problems with the liver or pancreas, so gallstones should be dissolved or removed for medical reasons. Now that laparoscopic surgery is used for gallbladder removal, or cholecystectomy, it has become the usual and likely best way to medically solve gallstone problems. While more and more people have had their gallbladder removed, living without the organ can take getting used to.
What does the gallbladder do?
The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile in the digestive system. Bile is necessary to digest and absorb fats and fat soluble vitamins. Without enough bile fats travel through the intestines without being properly digested, which can cause indigestion, cramping and diarrhea. Necessary fat-soluble nutrients will also not be properly absorbed.
Bile is composed of cholesterol, bile pigments, bile salts and water. The gallbladder stores bile, but it is actually produced by the liver. Tube or ducts called the biliary tree connect the liver, gallbladder, pancreas and small intestine.
The gallbladder is not necessary, but also is not redundant
A person can live without a gallbladder, meaning that it is not a necessary organ. The nearby liver and pancreas are necessary, which is why removing the gallbladder is better than possibly harming these organs with gallstones. After gallbladder removal the liver continues to produce bile, and the ducts that connect to the small intestine remain intact.
However, the gallbladder does have a unique function in the body. No other organ or structure is designed to store and concentrate bile. The common bile duct leading from the liver can expand to take over some of the storage and concentration of bile, but it is not designed to do so. This means that the digestive system is often not the same after gallbladder removal.
Removing the gallbladder might not solve all problems
There can be complications after surgery, especially if the common bile duct that leads from the liver is somehow damaged. In some cases not all the gallstones will be removed in the surgery. Gallstones can form without a gallbladder. Since these are serious conditions, if the surgery seems to have fixed none of your symptoms you should mention this to your doctor.
Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, can sometimes occur as bile in the bile ducts irritates the pancreas. If this persists, scarring can damage the pancreas. There can also be problems with the sphincter of Odi, or heptopancreatic sphincter. This structure normally opens to release bile during digestion, but sometimes it stops properly opening and causes problems with the pancreas and liver.
Still, gallbladder removal usually does solve the pain and other medical issues. Many of these conditions are fixable and do not cause long-term problems. Because of the serious conditions that impacted gallstones can cause, if your doctor has advised gallbladder removal, it might be the best option.
Continuing indigestion problems and what can be done to lessen them
For some people problems with indigestion continue much the same as before gallbladder removal. Over time these problems will get better, so do not get too discouraged that surgery has not fixed the problem. The bile ducts will start to store more bile, and act in part like the gallbladder once did, which will help with digestion.
Diet can also help solve problems. Since bile is needed to digest fats, and the body no longer stores enough to do so, limiting fat in the diet usually helps with indigestion. So, limit fried and greasy foods, butter, and rich foods. This can be difficult for some people to do, but will help, especially directly after gallbladder removal.
Increasing fiber in the diet also helps. Fiber tends to clump fat together limiting its need for digestion. Fiber pills taken with a meal that is fatty or rich should limit indigestion problems. Fiber is a good thing to include in your diet anyway.
Long-term effects of gallbladder removal
Gallbladder surgery has been around for decades. However, because of the extensive surgery and recovery needed, it was once done as a last resort. With the use of laparoscopic surgery gallbladder removal has become much more common. What the long-term effects of gallbladder removal might be has not yet been well studied.
Bile is necessary for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, E and K. If the body no longer makes or concentrates enough bile to properly dissolve fats, does it also not make enough bile to properly absorb these necessary vitamins? What medical effect slight deficiencies of these vitamins might cause over time has yet to be studied. Vitamin A is used for sight and night vision, vitamin D is needed to absorb Calcium for bone health, vitamin E is used for blood cell formation and heart health, and vitamin K is needed for blood clotting.
There is evidence that gallbladder removal may be linked to a slight increase in colon cancer. Likely the reason for this is the constant release of bile from ducting. Bile salts might irritate the large intestine when present without food.
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Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
