The gall bladder is a vital organ to the digestive process. It is responsible for the concentration of bile juice which is essential for the digestion of some groups of foods. Occasionally, the organ is affected by diseases such as infections, gall stones or cancerous processes that require a surgical operation to be corrected. Many such surgeries are done through laparoscopy. There are a number of things related to laparoscopic gallbladder surgery Houston patients need to know.
Your doctor will subject you to a number of tests before they make a decision to take you in for the operation. Ultrasound, CT scan and other imaging studies are among the most informative. They not only help in the diagnosis and staging of the illness but also go a long way into helping the surgeon decide whether surgery will be beneficial in a particular case. A more invasive but useful test is known as magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatograhy (MRCP).
Once you have been assessed and deemed fit enough, you will be prepared for the operation. Part of it entails further tests. Since gallbladder disease is often seen alongside liver disease, liver function tests are an important component of the investigative process. You will be instructed to stop drugs that are likely to increase your risk of bleeding. Such may include aspirin, blood thinners and nicotine (from tobacco).
The abdomen is usually opened using three small incisions (ports). These are used to insert the surgical instruments as well as the camera (laparoscope). Images from the camera are transmitted onto a monitor in the operating room and this guides the surgeon through the entire operation. The ports are also used to introduce a small amount of carbon dioxide gas into the abdominal cavity so as to make individual organs more distinct and accessible.
General anesthesia is usually used for this kind of surgery. With this anesthesia, one sleeps during the entire surgery and reversal only happens after it has been completed. The average time required is about two hours. Your bile should flow normally as soon as the procedure has been completed. In case, the gallbladder is removed, the storage of bile may be affected but this has very little effect on the process of digestion if at all.
There are a number of possible complications associated with this operation. They include bleeding, infections and injury to vital structures. In about 5% of procedures there is a need to switch from the laparoscopic to the open procedure due to complications. Common reasons as to why this may be necessary include, extensive inflammation and the presence of scar tissue that makes access to the gallbladder difficult.
There are a number of advantages that the laparoscopic technique has over the open procedure. Since the incisions that are used are very small, the resultant scars are also very small. The other advantage is that compared to the open procedure, the risk of excessive bleeding is much lower. Most importantly, persons who undergo this form of operation have shorter recovery periods.
It is possible to have this procedure in either an outpatient or an inpatient facility. The latter option is preferred by most surgeons due to the use of general anesthesia. In the inpatient facility, the patient can be observed for a day or two before they are discharged home. On average, resumption of normal activities is at seven to ten days. No special diet is required during recovery.
Your doctor will subject you to a number of tests before they make a decision to take you in for the operation. Ultrasound, CT scan and other imaging studies are among the most informative. They not only help in the diagnosis and staging of the illness but also go a long way into helping the surgeon decide whether surgery will be beneficial in a particular case. A more invasive but useful test is known as magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatograhy (MRCP).
Once you have been assessed and deemed fit enough, you will be prepared for the operation. Part of it entails further tests. Since gallbladder disease is often seen alongside liver disease, liver function tests are an important component of the investigative process. You will be instructed to stop drugs that are likely to increase your risk of bleeding. Such may include aspirin, blood thinners and nicotine (from tobacco).
The abdomen is usually opened using three small incisions (ports). These are used to insert the surgical instruments as well as the camera (laparoscope). Images from the camera are transmitted onto a monitor in the operating room and this guides the surgeon through the entire operation. The ports are also used to introduce a small amount of carbon dioxide gas into the abdominal cavity so as to make individual organs more distinct and accessible.
General anesthesia is usually used for this kind of surgery. With this anesthesia, one sleeps during the entire surgery and reversal only happens after it has been completed. The average time required is about two hours. Your bile should flow normally as soon as the procedure has been completed. In case, the gallbladder is removed, the storage of bile may be affected but this has very little effect on the process of digestion if at all.
There are a number of possible complications associated with this operation. They include bleeding, infections and injury to vital structures. In about 5% of procedures there is a need to switch from the laparoscopic to the open procedure due to complications. Common reasons as to why this may be necessary include, extensive inflammation and the presence of scar tissue that makes access to the gallbladder difficult.
There are a number of advantages that the laparoscopic technique has over the open procedure. Since the incisions that are used are very small, the resultant scars are also very small. The other advantage is that compared to the open procedure, the risk of excessive bleeding is much lower. Most importantly, persons who undergo this form of operation have shorter recovery periods.
It is possible to have this procedure in either an outpatient or an inpatient facility. The latter option is preferred by most surgeons due to the use of general anesthesia. In the inpatient facility, the patient can be observed for a day or two before they are discharged home. On average, resumption of normal activities is at seven to ten days. No special diet is required during recovery.
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