Laparoscopic cholecystectomy to remove stones in the gallbladder
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Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the most used and recommended by technical specialists surgeons to remove the stones in the gallbladder. This is a simple operation performed through small incisions. With this treatment has been achieved to minimize complications and postoperative pain.
Gallbladder Surgery: Understanding
The removal of the gallbladder is to separate the gallbladder from the liver by surgical instruments. Normally and mostly, is performed by minimally invasive surgery (2 to 4 small incisions, depending on the technique used). Thus is introduced into the abdomen optics adapted to a camera, having previously injected C02 (carbon dioxide) into the abdominal cavity to separate the intestines from the abdominal wall, so that it can be introduced the instruments without going to collide with any víscera. The general surgeon performs the procedure looking through a TV monitor.
They stones in the gallbladder, are very common?
Between 10 and 20% of the adult population will have stones in the gallbladder, a figure that increases to 25-30% in people over 70 years. As for sex, the female-male ratio is 3 to 1.
The causes of the formation of gall stones are not known. However, it does relate to hormonal factors or type of food. It is also more common in multiparous women (who have given birth more than once), more than 40 years and overweight.
When performing surgery gallbladder
The gallbladder surgery is the second most frequent choice of abdominal surgery. The surgical indication is conditioned by the symptoms. If there are symptoms, the expert in general surgery indicate surgery, although it is also indicated in cases where it is considered that there is a risk of complications, such as a long life expectancy, the stones are very small or, conversely, greater than 2-3 cm.
Today morbidity of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is from 1.5 to 6% and mortality ranges from 0 to 0.2%.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy postoperative
Postoperative pain is controllable with regular analgesia, as it is small incisions of no more than 1 cm. Postoperatively, therefore, is quite simple: 24h the / the patient can be discharged home and does not usually require more than one week of recovery to a normal life, avoiding overexertion.
Alternative techniques to treat gallbladder stones
There are alternatives to laparoscopic cholecystectomy are lithotripsy, which is no longer practiced by excessive complications you have, and treatment with oral ursodeoxycholic to dissolve the stones of small cholesterol, not without complications.
Today, however, the treatment of choice for symptomatic stones in the gallbladder is laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
