Many people are affected by the gallbladder disease, so it's important that everyone understands this illness and learns how to prevent or treat it. Gallbladder surgery is one of the most performed surgeries in the United States and the number of people that are visiting their doctors to report gallbladder pain is continuously increasing.

So what is the gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a small organ that is shaped like a pear and that can be found near the liver and the duodenum. It has the simple role of storing the bile. The bile is a yellow-ish substance that is vital in the digestion of fats. Fats are not altered by water so they can't dissolve in it. That's why the body uses the bile, which can emulsify fats so that their proteins and aminoacids can be absorbed through the intestine's walls. The liver produces the bile and then uses the gallbladder as a bottle that can store it. Then when you eat something fat, the bile is poured from the 'bottle' in the stomach and used for its purpose.

Why does gallbladder pain occur and what is the gallbladder disease?

Well the gallbladder, just like every other organ, gets old, and starts causing problems. After a certain age, the bile's composition changes slightly, it starts to contain more cholesterol. Because of this a crystllization phenomenon occurs, and small stones form inside the gallbladder from the bile. These stones are the main cause of gallbladder pain.

What happens if you have gallstones?

Besides gallbladder pain, a few more symptoms appear when you have problems with gallstones. The most common ones are vomiting, gas and pain in the stomach after a meal that contains fats.

How can gallbladder pain be treated?

Sometimes gallstone disappear on their own, but in many situations they cause problems by obstructing the bile duct, and the only thing that can be done about this is to remove the gallbladder surgically. The surgery is simple and many doctors have performed it many times. The patient can return home the next day after the surgery and in 2 more days he can resume his normal life.

What happens after the gallbladder surgery?

After the surgery you will no longer experience gallbladder pain, but you will need to stay away from fats, because you no longer have the 'bottle' that pours what is needed when you eat fats, so the body can't digest them and will eliminate them through diarrhea. A small change in your diet is all you need to do after the surgery.