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Gallstones

Gallstones are stones that form in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small sac that lies below the liver and acts as a storehouse of bile, a greenish-brown liquid produced by the liver. During the digestion of food, the gallbladder contracts and bile passes from it through the bile duct and down into the upper part of the bowel. Gallstones may also pass into the duct through a narrow tube (called a cystic duct).

THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOM
is episodes of moderate or severe pain in the upper abdomen or back.

Why do gallstones form?

This question has no simple answer. If the liver produces too much cholesterol, cholesterol crystals may form in the bile and become stones.

In other people, the stones form because of changes in other bile components or because the gallbladder fails to empty normally.

Gallstones become more common with advancing age. They are more common in women than in men, in people who are overweight and in those with a family history of gallstones.

Facts About Gallstones
Second Edition 2005

Contents

• What are gallstones?
• Why do gallstones form?
• What symptoms do gallstones cause?
• Are gallstones serious?
• How are gallstones diagnosed?
• Do I need an operation?
• What sort of operation might I need?
• Will an operation cure my symptoms?

Download

Facts About Gallstones is now available as an A4 size pdf file.
Gallstones (Adobe Acrobat PDF 664K)