THE gallbladder is a small organ sat on the underside of the liver, itself in the right upper part of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm. Bile is made in the liver and from there it is transported in a thin tube, known as a duct, to the gallbladder. The role of bile is to help digest fats in the diet. When you eat a rich meal, bile is then released from the gallbladder into the small intestine for this purpose.

Normally bile is in a liquid state. However, if stones form, these are known as gallstones, and may cause problems.

Although many people with gallstones will have no symptoms at all, some will have very bad pain. The reason for this is that when a stone falls from the gallbladder into the tube that takes bile to the small intestine, it may become lodged in this tube.

As the tube contracts against the stone, this causes pain.

Stones may also cause infection of the gallbladder itself, noticed as feeling unwell, temperature symptoms and pain in the upper abdomen.

Rare complications of gallstones include jaundice, where the whites of the eyes and the skin take on a yellow colour. If bile is unable to flow into the small intestine due to a stone blocking the connecting tube, it then goes into the bloodstream with the above results.

The tube that connects the gallbladder to the small intestine joins with that from the pancreas, and if a stone falls back into the pancreatic duct, the very serious complication of pancreatitis may result.

This would be seen as excruciating pain in the upper abdomen, going through to the back.

WE aren’t completely sure what causes gallstones, but are aware of certain risk factors. These include being overweight or obese, or losing weight rapidly.

They may form during pregnancy and are more common in those with diabetes.

A vegetarian diet and modest amounts of alcohol seem to reduce the risk, but not enough to advise those who are teetotal to commence drinking alcohol.

If you have pain and are not immediately unwell, it is likely that your GP will organise an ultrasound scan of your abdomen as well as some blood tests, if your symptoms sound like they may be due to gallstones.

If gallstones are found on a scan incidentally, many surgeons would advocate leaving alone.

However, if you have pain, current advice would be to have a procedure to remove the gallbladder. The gallbladder is not an essential organ, and in its absence, bile will still pass from the liver to the small intestine to help with digestion.

Gallbladder surgery has been quoted as being the single most performed surgery worldwide, and has gone from being an operation with a large incision and several days in hospital, to a day case procedure.

The majority are done through keyhole incisions and where many patients are able to go home the same day and recuperate in the comfort of their own surroundings.