Understanding the Small Organ Behind Gallstone Pain
Your gallbladder stores the bile your liver makes and releases it when you eat. When that system works, you never notice it. When gallstones form, it can cause sudden pain, nausea and infection. At Matthew Lublin, MD, Dr. Lublin helps patients at our Santa Monica and Encino offices understand how the gallbladder works, why stones develop and when removing it makes sense. Gallbladder removal, called laparoscopic cholecystectomy, is one of the most common operations in the United States. It is almost always done through small incisions.
Request an AppointmentWhat Does the Gallbladder Do?
The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped sac that sits under the liver in the right upper abdomen. Its job is to collect and concentrate bile, a digestive fluid made by the liver.
Here is how bile moves through your digestive system:
- The liver makes bile all the time and sends it to the gallbladder for storage.
- While bile is stored, the gallbladder concentrates it so it works better.
- When you eat, especially fatty foods, your digestive tract signals the gallbladder to contract.
- Bile is squeezed out through the common bile duct into the small intestine.
- In the intestine, bile mixes with food and breaks down fats so your body can absorb them.
Bile contains water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts, proteins and bilirubin. Bile salts break up dietary fat. Bilirubin is a waste product, and it gives bile and stool their yellow-brown color.
Do You Need Your Gallbladder?
You can live a normal, healthy life without a gallbladder. It is a storage reservoir, not an organ that makes bile. After the gallbladder is removed, your liver keeps producing enough bile to digest a normal diet. That bile flows through the hepatic ducts and common bile duct directly into the small intestine instead of waiting in storage.
Because bile now enters the intestine in a slow, steady stream, a small number of people notice softer or more frequent stools after surgery. These changes are usually temporary. Most people see no lasting change in their digestion. If bowel changes continue, let our office know so we can help.
What Are Gallstones Made Of?
Gallstones are hard, pebble-like deposits that form when bile holds too much cholesterol, bile salts or bilirubin. There are two main types:
- Cholesterol stones: usually yellow-green and made mostly of hardened cholesterol. They account for about 80 percent of gallstones.
- Pigment stones: small, dark stones made of bilirubin.
Gallstones range from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a golf ball. Some people form one large stone. Others form hundreds of tiny ones or a mix of both.
Why Do Some People Get Gallstones?
No one knows exactly why some people form gallstones and others do not. There is also no proven way to prevent them. Doctors do know several factors that raise the risk:
- Being a woman, especially during pregnancy or while taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy
- Being over age 40, with risk rising further after 60
- American Indian or Mexican American heritage
- Carrying excess body weight
- Fasting or losing weight very quickly, including after bariatric surgery
- A family history of gallstones
- Diabetes
- Taking cholesterol-lowering medicines
How Gallstones Cause Gallbladder Problems
Most gallbladder problems start with gallstones. Many people learn they have stones during an ultrasound or scan for something else. Stones that have never caused symptoms usually do not need treatment.
Trouble begins when a stone blocks bile from leaving the gallbladder. The gallbladder swells and can cause:
- Sharp pain in the right upper abdomen or just below the breastbone
- Pain that spreads to the back or right shoulder
- Bloating or a swollen belly
- Nausea, vomiting or indigestion, often after a meal
If a stone stays stuck, more serious problems can follow:
- Infection of the gallbladder, with fever and severe abdominal pain
- A blocked common bile duct, which can cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Irritation of the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis
Read more about warning signs on our gallbladder symptoms page. You can also learn how Dr. Lublin confirms the problem through gallstone and gallbladder diagnosis.
Gallbladder Function FAQs
What is the main job of the gallbladder?
The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile made by the liver. When you eat, it contracts and releases bile into the small intestine to help digest fats.
Can I live normally without a gallbladder?
Yes. Your liver keeps making bile after the gallbladder is removed, and it flows straight into the intestine. Most people digest a normal diet without any lasting problems.
Will removing my gallbladder change my bowel habits?
A small number of people notice softer or more frequent stools after surgery. This is usually temporary. Contact our office if it continues so we can help you manage it.
What are gallstones made of?
About 80 percent are cholesterol stones made mostly of hardened cholesterol. The rest are pigment stones made of bilirubin. Both form when bile holds more of these substances than it can keep dissolved.
Can gallstones be prevented?
There is no proven way to prevent gallstones. Keeping a healthy weight and avoiding very rapid weight loss may lower your risk, but stones can still form.
Do gallstones always need to be treated?
No. Gallstones found by chance that have never caused symptoms usually do not need surgery. Treatment is typically advised once stones cause pain, infection, jaundice or pancreatitis.
Where can I see Dr. Lublin about gallbladder problems?
Dr. Lublin sees patients at two offices, one on Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica and one on Ventura Boulevard in Encino. Call to schedule at either location.
Get Answers About Your Gallbladder Pain
If you have pain under your right ribs after meals, or a scan shows gallstones, Dr. Lublin can explain your options and tell you whether gallbladder surgery is right for you. Schedule a visit at our Santa Monica or Encino office, or call .