Gallbladder attacks are among the most common reasons people visit the emergency room. Doctors decide whether a patient needs emergency gallbladder surgery, and patients often leave with orders to schedule the procedure. Patients at risk for complications and reoccurring attacks typically qualify for emergency surgery. The more informed the patient is, the more equipped they are to advocate for themselves and avoid time lag before surgery.
What Qualifies for Emergency Gallbladder Surgery?
Gallstones are the most common reason patients need emergency gallbladder removal, and a gallstone attack is often excruciatingly painful. These debilitating attacks can last hours and often reoccur, depending on the size and number of gallstones. The pain stops when the gallstone no longer blocks the bile duct, and the only way to ensure they never come back is to remove the entire gallbladder. To relieve your pain and inflammation, doctors will often recommend immediate surgery. Other conditions that may qualify for emergency gallbladder removal include the following:
- You have pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas caused by gallstones.
- Testing detects cancer in your gallbladder.
- The gallstones blocking the bile duct cause jaundice, a yellowing of the skin, or whites of your eyes.
Doctors can approach emergency gallbladder removal through one or two means: laparoscopic cholecystectomy or open cholecystectomy. The first is minimally invasive and requires significantly less time. Doctors will remove the gallbladder through small cuts in the abdomen. The second technique is more invasive, requiring a single large cut into the abdomen.
Symptoms of Gallstone Attacks
Gallbladder attacks typically occur at night and follow heavy meals. The first sign of gallstones is a pain in your abdomen that can spread to your back, particularly just below the shoulder blade and up to the shoulders. Some patients experience low-grade fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, and changes in the color of urine and stools. More extreme symptoms can indicate inflammation or infection in the gallbladder, pancreas, or liver and would require emergency gallbladder surgery.
Medical Diagnosis of Gallstones
Doctors can run several tests to diagnose gallstones, many available in the emergency room. For example, they will ask questions about your medical history and symptoms before examining and pressing gently on the right side of your abdomen just below the rib cage. Signs of tenderness can indicate inflammation. Tests that follow may include:
- An ultrasound scan to locate stones in the gallbladder
- Urine and blood testing to observe how your liver handles the strain
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to get a detailed visual of your bile ducts using an endoscope and flexible telescopic camera
- An MRI scan of the gallbladder to look for stones
Doctors will often treat the pain until the gallstone dislodges and send patients home with a referral for surgery when there are no signs of danger for the pancreas or liver. This is ideal in a gallbladder case because patients have more time to prepare for surgery and recovery.
Can You Get Gallbladder Surgery in the Emergency Room?
Most emergency rooms have general surgeons available for emergency surgeries. If you enter the ER and qualify for emergency removal, you benefit from immediate relief, but it can present cost and timing issues. Having an emergency gallbladder removal is usually more expensive than scheduling gallbladder surgery for later, and the risks are slightly higher.
Risks Associated With Emergency Gallbladder Surgery
All surgeries have common risks, such as infection and bleeding, and factors such as age and health status impact certain risks. For gallbladder surgery, the chances of a negative outcome are minimal. Some people may experience injury to the common bile duct or small intestine. Very few experience post-cholecystectomy syndrome, the persistence of abdominal pain with various gastrointestinal symptoms similar to the experience before surgery.
Having emergency surgery comes with a few additional risks. For example, patients scheduled for surgery usually should avoid eating the night before the procedure to prevent the risk of aspiration, and should stop taking certain supplements and medications. If you need immediate surgery, you may not have time to mitigate such risks. However, your doctor will weigh and explain them before recommending surgery.
Understanding the Surgical Process
The doctor makes four small incisions to begin laparoscopic cholecystectomy and uses a tiny camera inside a tub to monitor the robotic arms used during the procedure. They watch on a monitor as they control the arms to remove the gallbladder. For a traditional open cholecystectomy, the surgeon will make a 6-inch incision in the abdomen and pull back the tissue to reveal your liver and gallbladder. Open surgery requires more sutures and extended recovery, but both are generally completed within 90 minutes.
What Helps Gallbladder Pain ASAP?
If you enter the ER with gallbladder pain, the doctor will likely treat it immediately with pain medication and antibiotics. Over-the-counter pain relievers can help, but you must consult a doctor before taking anything, especially if you may need to visit the ER for emergency gallbladder surgery.
Natural Ways To Relieve the Pain
If you suffer from reoccurring attacks and want to treat the pain naturally before surgery, certain herbs, supplements, and spices may help. However, taking preventative measures to avoid attacks is ideal:
- Exercising regularly can lower cholesterol levels and prevent gallstones from forming.
- Maintaining a healthy weight can decrease the number of gallbladder attacks.
- Limiting foods high in fats and sugars and increasing fiber intake decreases the risk of attacks.
- Talk to your doctor about taking magnesium supplements to help gallbladder emptying.
To relieve pain during an attack or before you can get to the doctor, apply a heated compress to alleviate pressure and calm spasms. Drink peppermint tea for the soothing menthol, known to improve digestion and ease stomach pain.
Where Can You Find a Trusted Doctor for Emergency Gallbladder Surgery?
If you suffer from gallstones or have other gastrointestinal issues that may require gallbladder surgery, the team of board-certified gallbladder surgeons at Arizona Premier Surgery invites you to schedule an appointment. To better your ability for a fast recovery, we use the latest surgical techniques and treatments with minimal invasiveness to help you get back on the road to recovery as quickly and efficiently as possible. To learn more about emergency gallbladder surgery and your options for relief, contact Arizona Premier Surgery today.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/gallbladder-pain-relief
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140811124424.htm
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cholecystectomy/about/pac-20384818
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=aa57471