By Super Admin on Wednesday, 20 December 2017
Category: Gall Bladder

How to Deal With Acute Cholecystitis?

Acute cholecystitis is inflammation of the gallbladder (organ which digests fatty food we eat and also stores bile), mainly due to obstruction caused by gallbladder stones. When this takes place, over and over again with prolong episodes, it is known as chronic cholecystitis.

Being also caused rarely as a result of various illnesses and malignant conditions, the risk of acute cholecystitis, usually increases with advancing age. Women are at a high risk of forming gall stones and cholecystitis compared to men.

Patients will complain of a sudden sharp pain in the upper right-hand side of abdomen which gradually spreads towards the right shoulder. Some patients may also present with high fever, nausea, vomiting, sweating, loss of appetite, a bulge on abdomen and yellowish discoloration of skin and mucus membranes (jaundice), particularly in severe occasions.

Important:

Seek immediate medical advice, if you develop a sudden, severe abdominal pain, typically lasting longer than few hours, accompanied by high body temperature or jaundice. This is to prevent complications like tissue death of gallbladder, infection and perforation.

What is next? How to diagnose acute cholecystitis?

After taking a complete history about signs and symptoms, a thorough physical examination will be done to elicit certain specific signs including tenderness of the affected area on the abdomen and worsening of pain on deep inhalation.

The diagnosis will be confirmed and the cause for the condition will be revealed by various blood tests, X ray, ultra sound scan, CT scan or MRI.

How to deal with acute cholecystitis?

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, you will probably get admitted to the hospital under Surgical Gastroenterologist for further treatment. Surgical Gastroenterologist or GI surgeon is the specialist for Gall bladder stones and problems related to abdomen or our GI system.

Initial Medical management:

Surgical Management:

Main types of Cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic Surgery– Gallbladder is removed using special surgical instruments inserted through small cuts made on the abdomen.

Single-incision laparoscopic Surgery–Gallbladder is removed through a single incision on navel.

Open Surgery–Gallbladder is removed through a single larger incision.

Prevention

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