Gallbladder Surgery Specialist
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North Tarrant Health Providers
Balaguru Sambandam, MD, FACS
General Surgery located in Fort Worth, TX
Balaguru Sambandam, MD, FACS, of North Tarrant Health Providers in Fort Worth, Texas, uses minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques to perform gallbladder surgery with minimal tissue damage. Gallbladder surgery is the best solution for extreme or frequent attacks of gallbladder pain, so call North Tarrant Health Providers today and schedule a consultation or book an appointment online.
Gallbladder Surgery Q & A
Why might I need gallbladder surgery?
Gallbladder disease takes several forms, which affect the functioning of your gallbladder.
The gallbladder is a pouch for storing bile, a fluid produced by your liver that helps digest fat. When you need some bile to process food passing through your digestive system, short tubes (bile ducts) transfer the bile to your small intestine. Most afflictions to this organ interfere with that process.
Types of gallbladder disease that are most likely to require surgery include:
Gallstones
Cholelithiasis (the medical name for gallstones) is the most common type of gallbladder disease, in which stones form from tiny particles passing through your bloodstream. The particles come together over time, starting off the size of a grain of sand and potentially reaching the size of a golf ball. Gallstones can block your bile ducts, causing severe pain.
Cholecystitis
Cholecystitis is acute gallbladder inflammation. It might develop if you have gallstones or could be a response to other conditions, like gallbladder cancer. Chronic cholecystitis can develop if you experience frequent acute cholecystitis attacks, as it makes your gallbladder shrink and prevents it from functioning as it should.
Choledocholithiasis
Choledocholithiasis results from gallstones getting stuck in the bile ducts or neck of your gallbladder. Because of the blockage, bile builds up, and your gallbladder becomes distended and inflamed. Choledocholithiasis is often excruciatingly painful and can cause jaundice, vomiting, and fever.
You might also require gallbladder surgery if you have cancer of the gallbladder.
What diagnostic procedures are necessary before gallbladder surgery?
To diagnose your symptoms of gallbladder disease, Dr. Sambandam first performs a physical examination and reviews your symptoms and medical history.
Based on what he finds, you might need to undergo further tests, which could include an ultrasound scan, a computed tomography scan (CT), a hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan, or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP).
What does gallbladder surgery involve?
As your gallbladder is something you can manage quite well without, Dr. Sambandam will most likely remove the entire organ. In over 99% of cases, he adopts a minimally invasive approach using laparoscopy to remove the gallbladder (laparoscopic cholecystectomy).
To find out more about your options for gallbladder surgery, call North Tarrant Health Providers today or book an appointment online.
