-
Abdoment :
The area that begins just below the ribs and extends to the pelvis.
-
Bile : A thick brown liquid made by the liver that helps the body digest fats. It is stored in the gall bladder and released when food enters the small intestine.
-
Bile salts : Chemicals present in bile that helps in the digestion of fats and also keep cholesterol dissolved in the bile.
-
Biliary colic :
A spasm-like pain caused by contractions of the common bile duct.
-
Bilirubin :
A pigment formed in the body form broken down red blood cells. It is present in the bile as a waste material to be eliminated from the body.
-
Cholelithiasis :
The medical term for gallstones.
-
Cholecystitis :
An inflammation of the gall bladder.
-
Cholecstectomy :
Surgical removal of the gall bladder to treat gall stones.
-
Cholesterol :
A fatty material necessary for many body processes.
-
Cirrhosis : An inflammation of the liver that can increase the risk of certain kinds of gallstones.
-
Common bile duct : The duct that collects bile from the liver and gall bladder, as well as digestive juices from the pancreas, and carries them to the small intestine.
-
Cystic duct :
The tube that carries bile to and from the gall bladder
-
Endoscope : A thin, flexible instrument that allows the visualization of the inside of the upper gastro-intestinal tract.
-
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (
ERCP) : A procedure used to diagnose and sometimes remove gallstones blocking the common bile duct.
-
Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (
ESWL) : A procedure in which powerful shock waves produced by a medical instrument are used to break up stones into small pieces.
-
Faeces :
Stool, undigested food and other waste stored in the large intestine until it is eliminated from the body.
-
Gall bladder : The pear-shaped organ located on the right side of the abdomen, it stores and releases bile.
-
Gall stones : Stone-like objects that form from cholesterol and other substances in the bile. They may be as small as tiny crystals or as large as golf balls.
-
Hepatic duct :
The tube that collects bile from the liver and delivers it to the gall bladder.
-
Hiatal hernia : A condition that occurs when part of the stomach bulges through the sheet of tissue that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen.
-
Laparoscope : An instrument used for minimally invasive surgery.
-
Liver : A large organ on the upper right side of the abdomen that performs many important functions, including making bile and cholesterol.
-
Oral cholecystogram (
OCG) : X-rays done after giving an iodine pill that makes stones visible.
-
Pancreas : An organ that produces digestive juices. It sometimes can become inflamed in people with gallstones.
-
Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (
PTC) : A procedure that involves injecting a dye into the bile ducts with a needle.
-
Small intestine :
The part of the digestive tract where food passes from the stomach and is broken down into nutrients.
Gall bladder is a hollow, pear-shaped organ. It is located on the right upper part of the abdomen, just beneath the liver. The function of the gall bladder is to store bile made by the liver. Bile is a digestive juice that helps the body digest fats. Bile flows from the liver into the gall bladder, where it is stored. During a meal, the gall bladder contracts and squeezes bile into the intestine.
Formation of Gallstones
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Medications
