Surgical treatment of gallstone disease in Kharkov

Gallstone disease is latent and is not accompanied by symptoms as long as the size and number of stones do not interfere with normal functioning of the gallbladder. If the bladder duct is blocked with a stone or if bile outflow is disturbed, surgical intervention is required. The medical center “ON Clinic Kharkov Haharina” uses minimally invasive methods of gallstone disease treatment, assuming minimal trauma and a short rehabilitation period.

What is gallstone disease?

Gallstone disease is a pathology of the gallbladder, as a result of which stones (calculi) are formed in it or its ducts. The cause of the disease is bile stagnation and change in its composition (increase in the concentration of calcium salts, cholesterol and other components) due to metabolic derangement in the body. There are two types of gallstones:

• cholesterol - have a yellowish-greenish color and can reach more than 2 cm in diameter. This type of stones occurs in 80% of cases;
• pigment - are brown or black and consist mainly of bilirubin (one of the main bile components). The size of pigment stones usually does not exceed 1-2 cm.

Gallstone disease is manifested by heaviness and pain in the right side (stabbing or cramping), a bitter taste in the mouth, as well as nausea and vomiting. Moving a stone along the biliary tract provokes an attack of cramps - sharp severe pain in the right hypochondrium. This condition is a medical emergency.

Since stones in the gallbladder damage the mucous membrane of its walls, when a bacterial infection is attached inflammation of the organ develops - chronic calculous cholecystitis. This pathology is dangerous because, if it is not treated, inflammation will go to the pancreas and cause chronic pancreatitis. The only method of treating chronic calculous cholecystitis is operation to remove the gallbladder – cholecystectomy.

Affected by gallstone disease, gallbladder polyposis may develop. The disease is characterized by the proliferation of tissue of mucous membrane of the organ. Gallbladder polyps are different: some require only observation and eventually disappear on their own; others can degenerate into a malignant tumor. Removal of polyp in the gallbladder leads to a disease relapse. If there is a risk of malignant degeneration of the neoplasm, radical measures are indicated. Therefore, the only method of surgical treatment for gallbladder polyps is the complete removal of the organ.

Minimally invasive methods of treatment of gallstone disease

The selection of treatment for gallstone diseases depends on the nature and size of the stones, as well as the presence of concomitant pathologies. There are two methods of removing stones from the gallbladder: conservative and operative. The first one involves the use of drugs that gradually dissolve calculi. It is only suitable for treating cholesterol gallstones with a diameter less than 1cm.

In all other cases, cholecystectomy is indicated. Removal of stones from the gallbladder by laser grinding (lithotripsy) is ineffective, since their formation is caused by the organ malfunctioning. Stones may reappear several months after the intervention.

Cholecystectomy remains the optimal treatment for gallstone disease. This is a minimally invasive surgery that does not involve a large incision in the skin. You should not be afraid of surgery, since the organ no longer fulfills its function, and if it is not removed in time, such serious complications as purulent cholecystitis, jaundice, etc. may occur. After surgery, bile will still be produced by the liver, but it will flow through the bile ducts directly into the rectum.

Benefits of laparoscopy in treatment of gallstone disease

The medical center “ON Clinic Kharkov Haharina” treats gallstone disease using advanced methods of minimally invasive surgery. Due to the low trauma rate of the operation, a patient recovers faster after the intervention and returns to a full life in a few days.

Laparoscopic surgery to remove the gallbladder has a number of advantages over open surgery:

• minimal intervention. The organ is accessed through 4 small punctures in the skin;
• low risk of postoperative complications;
• no pain after the intervention;
• no need for long-term hospitalization;
• fast recovery time;
• good cosmetic effect - barely visible traces on the skin remain after the operation.

To make appointment for a surgeon’s consultation regarding the treatment of gallstone disease at the medical center “ON Clinic Kharkov Haharina", fill out the application form on the website or call the specified phone number. Our operators will select a convenient date and time of your visit, as well as they will answer all your questions.