What all this mean - Gall Stones

Hey all - Wondering if you can help?
I was in hospital the other day with what is now known as a severe Gallstone attack. And just had a ultrasound which found the followering . . .

There are multiple mobile gallstones in the lumen of the gallbladder measuring up to 4.6mm in diameter. However, it is the smaller gallstones and debris which are more important since these are the ones more likely to be passed down the biliary tract to produce classical biliar colic of course. The wall of the gall bladder is abnormally thickened (2.5mm) and the appearances suggest minor degrees of chronic low grade cholecystitis. the bile duct measures 3.4mm in diameter just below the porta hepatis and there is no intra-hepatic or extra-hepatic duct dilatation or any other more convincing sidn of biliary tract obstuction.

Conclusion : Chololithiasis with possible associated chronic cholecystitis.

Can someone tell me what all this means? what they possibly will do to treat it? Does it have to be treated straight away (only worried about this because so close to christmas)?

I see my doctor tomorrow, but was just hoping some one could give me a little information about what to expect etc. PLease :)

Cass

the gall bladder is a little pouch that is tucked up near the liver, and holds bile that is produce in the liver. the bile is then squirted through bile ducts to the stomach when a fatty substance needs to be digested.

your gall bladder has lots of little stones in it, and the report is basically saying that some of the smaller stones might move down into the ducts, causing a blockage and another painful attack. the thickening of the wall of the gall bladder suggests it's already inflamed and you're again likely to have another painful attack.

my understanding is that removal of a gall bladder is a last resort. most doctors suggest a really low fat diet to try and get the inflammation settled - the "squirting" action of the bladder to send bile to the stomach is generally quite painful.

if a gall bladder has to be taken out, it is, in most cases, an elective surgery, so wouldn't be pushed through before Christmas - my guess is your doctor will probably suggest a low fat/low acid diet to see if that works - and only surgery if it's needed

gall bladder removal is done via laprascopic/key hole surgery. i had mine out a few years back, was in hospital just over 24 hours, and was up and walking around the hospital within 10 hours of surgery. it wasn't super comfy, but it was tolerable pain (no worse than nasty AF - but just in different parts of the tummy) - mine was caused by not eating for six weeks when i had a kidney infection - only one stone, but it was blocking the ducts so had to be removed. yours doesn't seem to be blocked at all according to that report

good luck with it all hun - hope you're able to control it with diet!!

I went to the doctors today . . . And he has put me on antibiotics to reduce the inflammation in the GB, but he doesnt think it will work. . . he has also referred me to the Qe2 hospital to see the surgeon to have my GB removed. He faxed of the referral today and the hospital should get back to me in Januray. . .

In the mean time, he has adviced me to eat light non fatty foods, and take buscopan if i start cramping again (this should keep me out of hospital)

i'm glad you were able to get back to your doctor so soon for results Cass - gall bladder attacks are nasty!!

try to avoid acidic food too - it wasn't an issue for me, but a friend has had to cut tomato out of her diet to stop the attacks...

good luck

I thinking it might be easier to cut all food atm - everything that goes down is comming back up or out.

don't think that one will work with you being a "Milk Bar" hun!!

i found when things got pretty bad, dry toast, no dairy, nothing acidic, nothing fatty... was a really bland diet, but it kept me going!!

id you're not already, try low GI foods too - you might not necessarily keep it all down, but with low GI, if some of it sticks around, it's going to sustain you better between meals...

Hi, I just wanted to wish you luck. I hope you don't get any more nasty attacks. I had my gall bladder removed back in 2003, I had suffered the attacks for 3 years & the doctors kept saying it was heart burn. It wasn't until I moved to a more remote area that the doctor there recognised the symptoms & sent me for a ultrasound. My gall bladder was completely full & 3 of the stones were very large (I actually got to keep 2 of the large ones but threw them out about a year later as I thought it was kinda gross LOL) So off I went to have it removed.... what a relief!!! No attacks since (obviously, since there's no gall bladder haha)

I had the "no fat" diet & it did me the world of good, I lost a few kilos & felt great! Dh took on my diet too & he never looked better!!!

So good luck :) I hope your Christmas & New Year are pain free!

Hi there-
I had my gall bladder removed when I was 16. I'd been having attacks for a while and when I finally saw a doctor in the recovery room at a private hospital I was admitted straight away for two weeks, two weeks home, and the back to the hospital to have my gall bladder removed.
I didnt have any large stones- but more like 'gravel rash'- very tiny particles. Because of the size the had travelled and blocked my pancreas- so nothing could get out. 2 weeks on a drip and 2 weeks on very bland food- potato was good- gave time for the stones to travel away and my pancreas to calm down.
It wasnt all that bad getting it removed- and after months of pain it was a huge relief!

Hi Cass,

Sorry - I only just saw your thread. Considering the diagnosis on the report or probable choronic choleycitisis, I am not surprised that they have recomended you have your gall bladder out. It is actually a very common procedure and even more so when there are small stones found. The reason they opt to operate when there are small stones is because they are much more likely to travel down the bilary canal and can become stuck caushing infections, or they can find their way to the pancreas and cause pancreatitis. If that were to happen, the surgery would become "emergency" and you would be admitted from Emergency to have it done.

As BG said, the operation is usually done laproscopically. They make 4 incisions, one in the belly button (which is where they remove the gall bladder from), one roughly in between your BB's but lower down (just under the bra line), one on the mid abdomen (on the side) and a 4th one a little lower than that. Occassionally, you will wake with a drain tube from one of these incisions but it is reasonably rare.
The duration in hospital is usually overnight and the pain can vary depending on your pain threshold. I was in a lot of pain with mine due to my drain tube. Many patients also complain of pain in the left shoulder, this is caused by the gas they pump into your belly so they can see what they are doing. This pain usually goes in a couple of hours.
The incision mars are probably 1cm or less in length and most surgeons use disolvable stitches.

The recovery is fairly quick although you may find yourself reluctant to pick bubs up if she places pressure on your torso. I didn't want to hold DD much for that reason. Other than that, I was all systems normal the day I went home. I was going walking again and living my old life.

I agree with BG about avoiding fatty and acidic foods until you have had your surgery. Also avoid alcohol as this can cause attacks for some people. If you do begin to feel a case coming on, try something like buscapan but I also found that stemitil (an antiemetic AKA anti-nausea medicine) helped me. I would actually have to take an anti-emetic, buscapan, AND pain relief otherwise I'd be needing an ambulance pretty quickly. Plain, boring, bland food is usually best. I found things like a light salad or some soup worked for me.

HTH and good luck with the surgery.

MG