Gallbladder Disease

An estimated 25 million Americans have gallstones and are at increased risk for developing gallbladder disease. At Wake Endoscopy, with offices in Raleigh, Wake Forest, Cary, Clayton, and Wilson, North Carolina, advanced diagnostic testing services are available to identify gallbladder inflammation, infections, and bile duct blockages. The experienced gastroenterologists customize a care plan using lifestyle changes, medications, or surgery to ease your symptoms and prevent further gallbladder dysfunction. Call the Wake Endoscopy office nearest you to schedule a consultation, or request an appointment online today. 

What is gallbladder disease?

Your gallbladder is an organ in your digestive system that stores bile, a substance your liver makes to break down food. During digestion, bile travels through the bile ducts into the small intestine.

Gallbladder disease describes conditions that affect the health or function of the organ. Often, gallstones form from excess cholesterol and accumulate in the gallbladder or bile ducts, preventing bile from flowing into the small intestine.

Other types of gallbladder disease include:

• Cancer
• Infections
• Cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation)
• Cholangitis (bile duct inflammation)
• Biliary dyskinesia (muscle or nerve-related dysfunction)

Wake Endoscopy offers comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services for gallbladder disease. The experienced gastroenterology team personalizes a care plan to relieve any symptoms you have and prevent chronic digestive complications.

Does gallbladder disease cause symptoms?

You can have gallstones without displaying any symptoms. However, if a stone blocks a bile duct, you can experience sudden, intense pain in the upper right part or the center of your abdomen.

Gallstone blockages can also cause pain in your right shoulder and between your shoulder blades, nausea, and vomiting.

Schedule a diagnostic evaluation at Wake Endoscopy if you have any of these symptoms. The team offers advanced imaging technology in the office, including abdominal ultrasounds and endoscopic ultrasounds, to identify gallbladder inflammation or infection and gallstone blockages.

They also specialize in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This test involves injecting a dye to highlight the bile ducts. The team inserts an endoscope with an attached camera into your throat and down into your small intestine to assess how the dye moves through the ducts.

How is gallbladder disease treated?

Your treatment plan for gallbladder disease depends on the type of condition you have and the severity of your symptoms.

If you have gallstones that cause pain or inflammation, the Wake Endoscopy team can prescribe medications to dissolve them. They may also recommend diet and lifestyle changes to lower your risk of additional gallstones.

When medications aren’t working, or you have issues with recurrent gallstones, the providers might recommend cholecystectomy, a surgery to remove your gallbladder. Following surgery, your digestive system continues to function normally without the gallbladder.

Call the Wake Endoscopy office nearest you to schedule a gallbladder disease consultation, or book an appointment online today.