da Vinci Surgery
 

Gallbladder Disease

Your gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ under your liver. It stores bile, a fluid made by your liver to digest fat. As your stomach and intestines digest food, your gallbladder releases bile through a tube called the common bile duct. The duct connects your gallbladder and liver to your small intestine.

Gallbladder disease causes inflammation, infection, or blockage (obstruction) of the gallbladder, as well as gallstones. Specific types of gallbladder disease include:

  • Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder)
  • Gallstones
  • Chronic acalculous gallbladder disease (the natural movements needed to empty the gallbladder do not work well)
  • Gangrene (decay of body tissues) or abscesses (collection of pus)
  • Growths of tissue (polyps) in the gallbladder
  • Defects of the gallbladder that are present at birth (congenital)
  • Sclerosing cholangitis (swelling of the bile ducts of the liver) 
  • Tumors of the gallbladder and bile ducts

Your gallbladder will most likely cause problems if something blocks the flow of bile through the bile ducts. The most common blockage is a gallstone. Gallstones are more common in women, Native Americans and other ethnic groups, and people over age 40. Gallstones may also run in families.1

Symptoms

Symptoms of blocked bile ducts are often called a gallbladder “attack” because they occur suddenly. Gallbladder attacks often follow fatty meals, and they may occur during the night. A typical attack can cause:2

  • Steady pain in the right upper abdomen that increases quickly and lasts from 30 minutes to several hours
  • Pain in the back between the shoulder blades
  • Pain under the right shoulder

Notify your doctor if you think you have experienced a gallbladder attack. Although these attacks often pass as gallstones move, your gallbladder can become infected and rupture if a blockage remains. People with any of the following symptoms should see a doctor immediately:

  • Prolonged pain—more than 5 hours
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fever - even low-grade - or chills
  • Yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes
  • Clay-colored stools

Many people with gallstones have no symptoms. These gallstones are called “silent stones.” They do not interfere with gallbladder, liver, or pancreas function and do not need treatment.

Treatment

Dietary changes can sometimes help with symptoms related to the gallbladder. Antibiotics may be prescribed by your doctor to treat a gallbladder infection, but this medication will not get rid of gallstones. Removing the gallbladder is often recommended to control or eliminate severe symptoms.3 The gallbladder is an organ that you can live without.

If the gallbladder is removed using open surgery, this is known as an open cholecystectomy and doctors must make a long incision to access the gallbladder. Open surgery can involve a longer hospital stay and recovery. Laparoscopic surgery is another option which may be recommended to remove the gallbladder. Laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive and uses smaller incisions, long-handled rigid instruments and a small camera during surgery to access and remove the gallbladder.  There are limits to laparoscopic surgery due to the instrumentation used during the procedure.

da Vinci® Surgery for Gallbladder Disease (Cholecystectomy)

If your doctor recommends surgery to treat gallbladder disease, you may be a candidate for minimally invasive da Vinci Surgery. Using the most advanced technology available, the da Vinci Surgical System enables your doctor to operate through a few tiny incisions with breakthrough vision, precision, control and improved access to the affected area.

This procedure is performed using the da Vinci Surgical System, a state-of-the-art surgical platform. By overcoming the limits of both traditional open and laparoscopic surgery, da Vinci is changing the experience of surgery for people around the world.

As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed since surgery is specific to each patient, condition and procedure. It is important to talk to your doctor about all treatment options, including the risks and benefits. This information can help you make the best decision for your situation.

While clinical studies support the effectiveness of the da Vinci® System when used in minimally invasive surgery, individual results may vary. Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.

  1. "Gallbladder Diseases", National Institutes of Health, www.nlm.nih.gov URL: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/gallbladderdiseases.html
  2. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov, URL: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gallstones/#3
  3. X-Plain Cholecystectomy – Open and Laparoscopic Reference Summary, National Institutes of Health, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/cholecystectomyopenandlaparoscopic/gs019103.pdf

PN 873871 Rev A 06/10

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