When gallstones form inside the gallbladder, they can cause a variety of problems. These hard “stones” can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball, irritating the gallbladder tissue and increasing risks of blocking the bile duct that connects the gallbladder and small intestines. Two gallbladder conditions that involve gallstones are cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis. Treatment for gallbladder disorders is available through Danny Shouhed, M.D. at our clinic in Los Angeles.
Cholelithiasis is a medical term for the formation of gallstones in the gallbladder. It is estimated that 10% of women and 6% of men have this disorder. Substances in the bile and blood can collect in the gallbladder, concentrating to make hard stones. Calcium, bile salts, cholesterol and bilirubin are some of the ingredients that can form gallstones. While cholelithiasis does not cause pain or symptoms on its own, these gallstones can cause bile duct blockages, or choledocholithiasis.
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When cholelithiasis occurs, it can lead to choledocholithiasis, a blockage of the bile duct in the gallbladder by gallstones. The two conditions are linked – the gallstones are responsible for creating choledocholithiasis and the problems in the body when the bile is not released from the gallbladder. The symptoms include pain in the upper right abdomen area where the gallbladder is located, with accompanying fever and nausea. Patients may also experience jaundice and clay-colored stools due to the blockage. Treatment requires removal of the gallstone blocking the bile duct or a cholecystectomy to prevent tissue death and other serious complications.
Danny Shouhed, M.D. offers advanced cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis treatments at our clinic in Los Angeles, including minimally-invasive cholecystectomy. Contact our office to schedule a consultation with Danny Shouhed, M.D. to discuss your gallbladder disorder.
I can't say enough great things about Dr. Shouhed's office! I was referred for Gallbladder surgery and it was a seamless and easy process from start to finish. Dr. Shouhed is attentive, kind, and very detailed in his responses and made sure I got all my questions (even if I didn't think of them) answered in depth. He also did a fantastic job with the surgery and I'm excited for the minimal scars and getting back to normal life! I also want to shoutout Silvia who I worked with the most for coordination and booking the surgery. Silvia was patient and very kind to me as I was a bit anxious during the process. She was super proactive and I never felt like I was waiting on a response/follow up from her. Dr. Shouhed has a great, well run office and I would definitely recommend them if you are in need of GI surgery or consultation.
When a patient develops gallstones in the gallbladder in addition to gallstones in the common bile duct, treatment recommendations are carefully considered. When it comes to treating gallbladder stones that cause symptoms, most doctors agree that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the best method. However, when it comes to treating stones in the bile duct itself, there is still a lot of debate and uncertainty about the best approach. This condition is known as cholelithiasis with choledocholithiasis. Dr. Danny Shouhed is uniquely qualified to consider the patient’s condition and explain treatment options. Dr. Shouhed will take the time to discuss with the patient how often this problem happens, what usually happens as it progresses, how he uses diagnostic tools to understand what's wrong before surgery, how to manage it, what kind of problems can come up, the different ways the condition can be treated, and his recommendation based on each individual patient’s condition.
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