Gallstones Surgery Cost

The gallbladder is a tiny pear-shaped sac that is located below the liver in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. The gallbladder acts as a reservoir for bile, a digestive juice that the liver produces. When we consume fatty meals, the gallbladder contracts and releases bile for the digestion of fats. Bile is made up of cholesterol, bile salts and bilirubin. When the quantity of cholesterol or bilirubin in this digestive juice increases considerably, it crystallizes into hard stone-like deposits. In medical terminology, such deposits are referred to as gallstones. These could form in the gallbladder or in the bile duct that connects the gallbladder to the small intestine. These can prevent the gallbladder from emptying and can also obstruct the common bile duct, hepatic ducts or the cystic duct. As a result, the gallbladder could also get inflamed or infected and one might suffer from painful gallbladder attacks. While natural remedies might help in mild cases, surgical intervention might be required if the symptoms are severe. Here's some information on how much does gallstones surgery cost and how is this surgery performed.

Gallstones Surgery

The presence of gallstones can be detected with the help of blood tests, ultrasound, CT scan, or cholescintigraphy. If gallbladder attacks occur frequently, doctors generally recommend the patient to have a gallbladder surgery for the removal of the entire gallbladder. This surgical procedure is medically referred to as cholecystectomy. This surgery is categorized into open gallbladder surgery and laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. In open surgery, the surgeon makes a large incision in order to remove the gallbladder, while laparoscopic surgery involves making tiny incisions and inserting a laparoscope with a miniature video camera. The surgeon then makes the necessary cuts and removes the gallbladder while guided by the images on the video monitor. The cost of this surgery would vary depending on the type of surgical procedure employed to remove the gallstones. The time one may take to recover from this surgery is comparatively shorter in case of laparoscopic surgery. The patient is discharged from the hospital the next day itself and can fully recover in a month, whereas in an open surgery, the patient might be hospitalized for three to five days. The risks are higher in case of an open surgery. Making incisions can cause injury to organs surrounding the gallbladder. At times, bile might leak into the abdominal cavity or the gallstones might get lodged into the common bile duct. There could be anesthesia-related side effects as well.

Cost of Gallstones Surgery

As mentioned earlier, the cost of surgery will depend on the type of procedure used. The location of the hospital, the experience of the surgeon and the complications of the case will also affect the cost of this surgery. The average cost of gallbladder surgery may range anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000. The cost could also go higher if there are other complications. If the organs surrounding the gallbladder or the ducts get damaged or a lack of aftercare results in complications, you will have to shell out more money post surgery. Since the surgery cost is high, one can also opt for non-surgical alternatives for gallstones treatment. Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or Endoscopic Sphincterotomy might be used for gallstones treatment without the removal of gallbladder. If the patient is not too keen on undergoing surgery for gallstones removal, there is the option of trying any effective gallstones home remedy. If these don't work, oral dissolution therapy or contact dissolution therapy can also be used for dissolving gallstones. The gallstones treatments that don't involve surgery, however, work for the less severe cases.

This was some information on the surgical treatment of gallstones. Since poor dietary habits are one of the most common causes of gallstones, make sure that you follow a healthy diet. After all, prevention is better than cure.