- It is estimated that 6.3 million men and 14.2 million women aged 20 to 74 in the United States had gallbladder disease.
- The main function of the gallbladder is to concentrate and store hepatic BILE and to deliver bile into the small intestine when you eat.
- Ultrasound: initial investigation of any patient suspected of disease of the biliary tree. It is non-invasive, painless, and does not submit the patient to radiation
- Gallbladder pain: intense, dull discomfort located in the right upper quadrant, epigastrium, or substernal area that may radiate to the right shoulder blade
- The pain is often associated with diaphoresis, nausea, and vomiting. It is not exacerbated by movement and is not relieved by squatting, bowel movements, or passage of flatus.
- The most common type of gallstones is cholesterol stone. In western countries, 80% of gallstones are cholesterol stones and about 15 – 20% are black pigment stones.
- Obesity is a well-established risk factor for the development of cholesterol gallstones.
- Rapid weight loss is also a risk factor for gallstone formation
