What is the gallbladder?
Your gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located in the upper right area of your abdomen below your liver. Your liver produces bile, a substance that helps your body break down and digest the fat you eat.
When you’re eating, bile flows directly to your small intestine from your liver. Between meals, it usually goes to your gallbladder for storage until it’s needed.
Unfortunately, being obese and morbidly obese can make it difficult for your organs to function correctly and lead to gallbladder disease. While not all forms of gallbladder issues are weight-related, upwards of 10-40% of men and women have some kind of gallbladder disease, and of those, 69% are overweight or obese.
What is gallbladder disease?
Gallbladder disease describes several different issues, including inflammation, polyps, and cancer. The most common form of gallbladder disease is gallstones, which form from cholesterol and harden bile.
Common signs of gallbladder disease include:
- Pain in the mid to upper-right section of your abdomen
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fever or chills
- Chronic diarrhea
- Jaundice
- Unusual stools or urine
To manage certain gallbladder problems, the organ may need to be surgically removed.
What is gallbladder surgery?
When you have gallbladder issues that cause significant pain, chronic problems, or other complications, Dr. Carlton might recommend gallbladder surgery to remove it. Dr. Carlton is an experienced surgeon who performs several general surgical procedures, from gallbladder surgery to hernia repairs. Whenever possible, he performs general surgery laparoscopically or with robotic assistance. These minimally invasive approaches use small incisions and camera-guidance that provide faster recovery times and fewer complications.
After you have gallbladder surgery, your digestion continues functioning normally but you no longer have a gallbladder to store bile.
Gallbladder surgery isn’t always weight-related, but you can reduce your risk of gallbladder disease and surgery with weight loss.
What weight-loss solutions are available?
Dr. Carlton and his experienced team at LoneStar Bariatrics understand the challenges that come with trying to lose weight. To help ensure maximum and long-term results, they offer both nonsurgical and surgical techniques tailored to your individual needs.
Popular LoneStar Bariatrics weight-loss solutions include:
- Nutritional counseling with dietitian Allison Rezentes, MS, RD/LD, to develop a personalized approach to making healthy food and lifestyle choices
- Medical weight-loss management using safe and effective medications like Lomaira™ and Contrave®
- Gastric balloons with Orbera® and Obalon® devices that help you eat less while simultaneously going through behavior modification and nutritional counseling
If you’re significantly overweight, Dr. Carlton and his team might recommend bariatric surgery. There are several different types of bariatric surgery, including gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and duodenal switch. Each of these approaches offers rapid results because they not only change the amount of food you need, but also modify how your body absorbs nutrients.
To learn more about gallbladder disease and weight-loss solutions to protect your health, call LoneStar Bariatrics or schedule an appointment online today.
