Gall Bladder Disease

Gastroenterology Department at Washington Health Medical Group

There are a number of conditions that can affect the gall bladder, which is a small organ that aids in digesting food. Conditions affecting your gall bladder fall under the field of gastroenterology. Our team at Washington Health Medical Group offers extensive care from skilled and experienced gastroenterologists for patients in Fremont, California.

What Is the Gall Bladder?

The gall bladder is a 4-inch organ shaped like a pear and located under your liver on the upper right of your abdomen .The gall bladder contains bile, which is a substance that helps in the process of breaking your food down and allowing fat-soluble nutrients and vitamins to absorb in the bloodstream. Bile is stored in the gall bladder and moved to the small intestine, and is made up of fats, fluids, and cholesterol.

Conditions That Affect the Gall Bladder

Symptoms of a problem with your gall bladder may include pain in the upper-right to mid-section of your abdomen, nausea and / or vomiting, fever, chills, chronic diarrhea, unusual stools, dark urine, and jaundice. If you experience these symptoms, see a gastroenterologist.

Some examples of gall bladder diseases include:

• Gallstones, which are deposits that form in the gallbladder
• Choledocholithiasis, or common bile duct stones which are gallstones that develop in the gall bladder and move to the bile duct
• Cholecystitis, which is inflammation of the gall bladder
• Acalculous gallbladder disease, which is gallbladder disease without stones
• Common bile duct infection, caused by obstruction of the bile duct
• Gallstone ileus, which occurs when a gallstone moves to the intestine and causes a blockage
• Perforated gallbladder
• Empyema, which is an abscess of the gallbladder
• Gallbladder cancer
• Porcelain gallbladders, caused by calcium deposits that cause stiffness in the gallbladder walls
• Gallbladder polyps, which are usually benign but may need to be removed