Cholecystitis is nothing but inflammation of the gallbladder, a small organ near the liver. Through it passes the bile needed for digestion. If the flow of bile is blocked or the duct is narrowed, the gall bladder swells and becomes inflamed, infection is also possible.
There are three main forms of cholecystitis: acute, chronic and stoneless cholecystitis. The treatment for different forms is different. Acute cholecystitis most often occurs when gallstone is in the path of bile. Chronic is associated with constant inflammation of the gallbladder, the walls of which become more dense. And stoneless cholecystitis is a rarity, it is most often encountered by doctors in intensive care, it most often develops against the background of diseases such as AIDS and diabetes mellitus. What are the symptoms of cholecystitis? The most common symptom is pain in the right hypochondrium, which can move to the upper back, as well as the right shoulder. Other symptoms are nausea and vomiting, fever, greater sensitivity of the right hypochondrium to touch, pain that becomes stronger with deep breathing lasts more than 6 hours. In older people, the temperature rarely rises, so you have to rely on other symptoms.
Diagnosis begins when you describe the symptoms to your doctor. Most often, an ultrasound scan is used to make a diagnosis, stones, a seal of the gallbladder walls and the amount of fluid will be visible on the screen. Also, the doctor will be able to assess the size and shape of the organ.
What happens if you are diagnosed with acute cholecystitis? Treatment is possible in two versions - conservative and surgical. However, most often, patients are advised not to eat immediately after an accurate diagnosis, because surgery may be forthcoming. If the condition is not acute, the operation may be delayed or may be abandoned altogether. In this case, a low-fat diet is recommended (because bile is necessary for the digestion of fatty foods, therefore, it is not necessary to provoke the liver to produce bile with a fatty diet). In what cases is a patient treated on an outpatient basis? When it has no temperature, in the analyzes there are no signs that the cystic bile duct is completely closed, in the common bile duct (coming from the liver) there are no stones blocking the duct, judging by the results of ultrasound. And also if there are no complicating circumstances, such as old age, pregnancy or diseases of the immune system. In cases of conservative treatment, patients receive antibiotics, an antiemetic, and anesthetic. But they must be very careful and consult a doctor at the first deterioration.
And if the symptoms are more serious and doctors say that surgical methods are needed to cure cholecystitis? Treatment in such cases involves removal of the gallbladder. As a rule, in modern hospitals a laparoscopic operation is performed, in which there is a minimum of scars. However, if you and the doctor miss a moment, you will have to do the usual operation, especially if the bile duct, unable to withstand, ruptures. This is a life-threatening condition, so in case of suspected cholecystitis, most patients are operated on as soon as possible. Pregnant women are operated on successfully, and this does not harm the health of the mother and baby.
Stoneless cholecystitis is also treated surgically if the patient's condition allows him to survive the operation. Usually this is a very serious condition against other very serious diseases, so the doctor has to make difficult decisions when treating such patients. During the operation, surgeons often perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, that is , they examine the condition of the bile ducts, pancreatic ducts and the condition of the wall of the duodenum.
What if chronic cholecystitis is diagnosed? Treatment, as a rule, is a planned operation to remove the gallbladder, for which the patient is prepared for some time.
Without the gall bladder, it is quite possible to live if you follow the nutritional recommendations and lead a healthier lifestyle. However, it is better to eat and live properly before the diagnosis of cholecystitis. Treatment is usually too serious to ignore preventive measures, such as moderate fat in food, body weight control, and timely treatment for intestinal parasites.