Rehabilitation

Can I live without a gall bladder? The removal of the gallbladder generally has no disadvantages. It is possible that some foods are less well tolerated than in the past, so care should be taken to ensure a healthy and balanced diet.

Complications

Inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystiasis), perforation (rupture) of the gallbladder or secondary liver changes (liver cirrhosis) may occur as complications. A possible accumulation of bile can lead to increased fluid accumulation in the bile (gallbladder hydrops). If the common excretory duct of the gallbladder and pancreas is blocked, pancreatitis may occur.

The consequence of gallstone disease can be inflammation of the gallbladder. If a small stone slides into the bile duct, the bile accumulates in the gallbladder. After some time, the gallbladder is overfilled, which can be felt as a bulging elastic structure during the physical examination.

In this state, the gallbladder initially inflames without the help of bacteria, which the affected person can already perceive through pain in the right upper abdomen radiating into the area of the right shoulder blade. In the course of the disease, bacteria from the intestines can migrate into the gallbladder and make the condition even worse. Therapy here almost always consists of mechanical removal of the gallstones with direct removal of the gallbladder.

Alternatively, the stones can be removed and the gallbladder can be left in the body. However, the risk of suffering from gallstones again is very high. Therefore, the recommendation is usually to have the gallbladder removed promptly.

Prophylaxis

There is no actual prophylaxis of gallstone disease. However, overweight, low-fiber and high-fat diets favour the occurrence of this disease. Therefore, body weight should be taken into account and the diet should be high in fiber and low in fat. Coffee and fried foods should also be avoided in view of the risk of subsequent biliary colic.

Can gallstones be prevented?

The formation of gallstones can be partially prevented by a conscious diet. Many gallstones are so-called “cholesterol stones” and are caused by a high proportion of cholesterol in the bile. Therefore, to prevent gallstones, one should take care to eat little fat.

Cholesterol and saturated fats in particular should be avoided, as gallstones are favored by constantly high blood fat values. Unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils or fish oil, on the other hand, contribute to a long-term reduction in blood lipids. Such prevention is suitable for people who already have a high risk of gallstones. These include women, people over 40, people with a high BMI (>30) and people with first-degree relatives who already have or have had gallstones.Since high blood fat values increase in addition, the risk of many other illness (particularly container illnesses), such a nutrition does well also persons, for whom none of these factors of risk apply.