The treatment for the lazy gallbladder depends on the correct identification of the digestive problem. Lazy gallbladder is an expression popularly used for digestive problems with varied symptoms that often do not originate in the gallbladder, as in the case of dyspepsia or gastroesophageal reflux. The function of the gallbladder is to store the bile (produced in the liver) and eliminate it in the intestine, where it acts in the digestion of fats.
Symptoms of fatty food intolerance, often associated with nausea and sometimes vomiting, gasketing and gas (bloating), headache, and acute and severe pain on the right side and upper abdomen may occur due to the presence of stones or gallstones that make it difficult or block the elimination of bile.
The definitive treatment for the presence of stone in the gallbladder (cholelithiasis) is surgical. It is usually performed for people who have symptoms or in the presence of stones smaller than 0.5 cm larger than 2 cm. Preferably, the surgery is performed through laparoscopy, the vesicle being removed with the aid of a camera equipped with special clamps (videolaparoscope), which is introduced into the abdomen through small cuts. This method allows for faster hospital recovery and discharge with less pain.
When the symptoms are mild or there is no possibility of performing the surgery due to other problems, such as poor clinical conditions, the patient may be treated with anti-inflammatories, pain medications (analgesics and antispasmodics) and medications which according to the composition of the calculation, can dilute it. The low-fat diet is also indicated in these cases to aid in relieving symptoms.
Depending on the location of the stone, removal of the stone can be performed either laparoscopically or endoscopically. Another option would be lithotripsy, which is a method of destruction of stones by means of extracorporeal shock waves, commonly used in cases of kidney stones.
To identify if the digestive problem is caused by the gallbladder, stomach or liver, sometimes it is necessary to resort to a specialist (gastroenterologist), who can use, in addition to history and clinical examination, the aid of ultrasound, , endoscopy and laboratory tests to arrive at the correct diagnosis.
