How to Treat Gallbladder Disease Laparoscopically

Orange County General Robotic Surgery offers laparoscopic treatment for gallbladder disease and gallstones. One of the most common ways to treat gallbladder disease is to remove the organ. Surgery is often recommended as a last resort for most patients, especially if medications and alternative therapeutic options yield less than favorable results or fail to resolve symptoms. Laparoscopic surgery for gallstones or gallbladder disease is minimally invasive and offers several advantages for patients than traditional gallbladder disease treatments.

What Is Laparoscopic Gallbladder Treatment?

Surgery is one of the safest and most effective ways to treat gallbladder disease. The procedure stops the symptoms and prevents future attacks. Medication is another common approach used in gallbladder disease management. Unlike surgery, medication takes time to work and is not always effective at breaking down gallstones, preventing the gallbladder from becoming inflamed, and preventing stone formation. Once medication therapy stops, gallbladder disease activity is no longer suppressed, increasing the likelihood of future symptoms and attacks. In many cases, lifestyle modifications and medication management are not sufficient to prevent unusual gallbladder function or gallstone formation, especially in the presence of chronic or severe inflammation.

Signs Indicating Laparoscopic Gallbladder Disease Treatment Is Necessary

If you experience acid reflux, heartburn after eating certain foods, you could have gallbladder disease. The gallbladder is a biliary system organ that is responsible for bile storage. It releases bile into the intestines to help break down fats and cholesterol from the foods you consume. When it becomes infected or inflamed from disease or injury, stone stones and tiny solid particles or crystals form and can grow in number and size. Cholesterol stones are the most common type of gallstones due to elevated cholesterol levels and typically have a yellowish-greenish color. Pigment stones are another type of gallbladder disease. It is less common and tends to develop from an excess of bilirubin in the gallbladder.

Though gallbladder disease is extremely common, it can be difficult and painful to live with. Untreated, symptoms can flare without warning and cause serious pain that lasts mere minutes to several hours at a time. Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain can also occur. The condition can also occur asymptomatically and lead to severe damage to the organ and serious complications. Treatment is necessary to eliminate the risk of serious infection and scar tissue formation that can impede proper bile flow and trigger inflammation and swelling in the gallbladder and the pancreas.

Types of Gallbladder Disease That Are Treatable With Laparoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopic surgery is highly effective at treating the following types of gallbladder disease:

Sclerosing cholangitis develops from scar tissue and swelling that destroys the bile ducts and liver surface.

Abnormal tissue growth is common and, in most cases, harmless. Gallbladder removal is often recommended for polyps that exceed 1 centimeter in size because they are more likely to become cancerous.

Cholecystitis is characterized by an obstruction of the bile ducts. Gallstones range in size and can interfere with the flow of bile from the liver to the gallbladder and digestive system. This condition commonly occurs from infection, trauma, or abnormal tissue growth to the organ. Untreated, cholecystitis can cause the gallbladder to become gangrenous or deteriorate, leading to sepsis, nausea, digestive issues, and other complications.

Gallstones are hardened pieces of bile that normally develop periodically. Usually, treatment is not necessary. However, the stones can grow so large that passing them can become an extremely painful and overwhelming experience. For some individuals, gallstone disease can take years to pass stones, for others, some stones never go away, leading to recurring attacks. Gallstone attacks are extremely common and tend to redevelop repeatedly. Patients who experience frequent or recurring gallstones eventually find long term relief with surgery.

Advantages of Laparoscopic Gallbladder Treatment

Dr. Khosravi, MD, offers laparoscopic and da Vinci Cholecystectomy at the Orange County General Robotic Surgery center. To perform the procedure laparoscopically, he makes several tiny cuts into the abdomen, expands it with air/gas, and uses special surgical instruments to access and remove the gallbladder, stones, and damaged tissues. For robotic laparoscopic surgery patients, he uses the advanced da Vinci Robotic Surgery system to create a single incision to inspect the gallbladder and the ducts for abnormalities and obstructions before removing the organ and unhealthy tissues. The robotic system reduces surgery time, enhances results, and improves patient outcomes.

Treating gallbladder disease laparoscopically offers patients the following benefits:

Immediate relief from pain and inflammation – Removal of the gallbladder and any residual stones stops current and future attacks and disease progression.

Less pain and discomfort during recovery – Laparoscopic surgery is less traumatic to the body thanks to the use of laparoscopic surgical instruments and, in some cases, the robotic da Vinci Surgery system.

Cosmetic satisfaction – Patients develop less scar tissue and blemishes due to the procedure being performed with several small incisions instead of a large one.

Quicker recovery – Laparoscopic surgery is more tolerable for patients. There is significantly less surgical trauma and less postoperative pain to heal from.

Better results and outcome – The use of the special da Vinci Robotics system and laparoscopic surgical instruments enable Dr. Khosravi to perform the procedure with greater visibility, dexterity, and precision. More unhealthy or diseased tissue in addition to the gallbladder can be safely removed, thus preventing future attacks and symptoms, and optimizing patient outcomes.

Say Goodbye to Gallbladder Disease With Laparoscopic Treatment

If you have gallbladder disease, you may be a candidate for laparoscopic or robotic cholecystectomy at the Orange County General Robotic Surgery center. Both procedures are safe, highly effective, minimally invasive, and come with fewer risks than alternative treatment options so you can recover and regain your quality of life much faster. Call (714) 541-4996 to schedule an appointment with our specialists to discuss your situation.

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