You are here: Home  > News & Resources > Loyola's Printed Publications > Loyola Living Summer 2007 Issue > All About Gallstones

All About Gallstones

What is a gallstone? Dr. Holt: Simply put, a gallstone is a hard, stone-like object that forms in the gallbladder — an organ about the size of a pear that lies under the liver and functions as a storage receptacle for bile. Bile, which is excreted by the liver, is held in the gallbladder until it is needed for digestion and consists of bile salts, cholesterol, bilirubin and lethicin — chemicals that aid in breaking down foods in the intestine. What are some common symptoms of gallstones? Dr. Holt: Many people experience bloating and bouts of sharp abdominal pain, which can radiate to the back or shoulders and be associated with nausea and vomiting. While most experts agree that gallstones are less painful than their cousin the kidney stone, the level of pain depends on the individual. Symptoms usually last for a few hours, but eventually subside and go away once the stone changes position and bile can flow freely out of the gallbladder.

David Holt, MD, has expertise in surgery of the liver and gallbladder as well as transplantation of the liver and kidney.

What are some complications of gallstones?

Dr. Holt: Complications can include inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis) or obstruction of the bile or pancreatic ducts, causing jaundice or inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).

What are my treatment options?

Dr. Holt: The most common treatment for symptomatic gallstones is a cholecystectomy, or surgical removal of the gallbladder. Most often, this can be done using a minimally invasive approach, which can be performed in an outpatient setting and returns people to their normal routines much faster and with fewer complications than traditional surgery. Although other methods of treating the stones while leaving the gallbladder in place have been tried — such as lithotripsy, or shockwave treatment, designed to break up the stones — reccurrence of stones is very common if the gallbladder is not removed.

Can I prevent gallstones?

Dr. Holt: Most gallstones are a result of a typical American diet. People who eat foods high in fat and cholesterol are more likely to develop stones, as are pregnant women, people with high cholesterol and triglycerides, women on birth control pills and those with diabetes.

There are many different causes of abdominal pain. Talk to your doctor if you experience sudden pain in your abdomen that does not go away. If you would like to make an appointment with a Loyola physician,
call (888) LUHS-888.

Surgical Services

Loyola University Health System's surgeons treat everything from the routine to the complex. Loyola offers many general surgical options including:

Colon and rectal surgery — for the treatment of conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and cancers of the colon and rectum

Endocrine surgery — for treating various thyroid and parathyroid conditions and pancreatic tumors

Pediatric surgery — specialized surgery options are available for newborns and children

Surgical endoscopy and minimally invasive surgery — available to treat everything from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to obesity-related conditions

Surgical oncology — for cancers of the breast, liver, gastrointestinal tract and pancreas