Question

An overweight 45-year-old female patient is seen by the primary care physician. She complains of a severe colicky pain in her right upper quadrant about 2 hours after meals but is otherwise healthy. After a history and physical, the physician diagnoses the patient with cholelithiasis.

1. Describe the condition and causes of cholelithiasis.

2. What are three possible treatments for this condition?

3. How would a patient’s diet affect this condition?

4. What two structures are ligated with clips and cut during a cholecystectomy?

5. What major organ is the gallbladder dissected from?

Answer 1

1. The presence of gallstone in the gall bladder is called as cholelithiasis.

2. Surgery (Cholecystectomy), consuming ursodeoxycholic acid and maintaining proper diet are the major ways to treat this disease.

3. Low fluid consumption, high intake of carbohydrate and high glycemic content in food are the main reasons for the gall stones.

4. Surgical removal of gall bladder is called as cholecystectomy. Liver and bile duct will be ligated.

5. Gall bladder is dissected from liver.