The gallbladder is an organ embedded in the liver that is responsible for concentrating bile, which is released during digestion to help break down fats.
The conditions specific to the gallbladder include cholelithiasis (gallstones), emptying disorders (biliary dyskinesia), and both benign and malignant tumors, such as gallbladder polyps.
Acute calculous cholecystitis is the most frequent gallbladder disease. It is characterized by the obstruction of bile outflow into the bile duct by one or more gallstones, triggering an episode of acute abdominal pain located at the pit of the stomach that radiates around the right ribcage like a belt, following the consumption of fats or dairy products.
Gallstones occur more frequently in women, although they also manifest in men. The age of onset has been shifting as a result of diets with higher fat intake.
Gallbladder polyps are lesions found inside the gallbladder that can potentially become malignant, making a scheduled cholecystectomy an excellent therapeutic option for these patients.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is considered the gold standard treatment for gallbladder diseases, as it is a minimally invasive, safe procedure with excellent results.
