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How do you get liver stones in the duct?

By Anonymous September 20, 2018 - 11:28am
 
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I was in serious pain, went to the ER and they say I have stones in my liver duct, how to they get there and how do you get them out.

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HERWriter Guide

Hello Anon

Thank you for writing!

The liver stones you are talking about are called gallstones. Gallstones are pieces of stone-like material that form in the gallbladder. The majority of gallstones are made up of cholesterol. The rest are made up of bilirubin. Bilirubin is a breakdown pigment of the blood product hemoglobin.

Biliary colic is the pain caused by a gallstone stuck in the bile duct, a tube that carries bile to the small intestine. Sometimes, a stone caught in the bile duct causes cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder). Cholangitis is inflammation of the bile duct caused by a gallstone or a bacterial infection.

Many people have gallstones without symptoms, called "silent gallstones." In some cases, these are treated.

Gallstones may cause pain in the upper abdomen. This is sometimes called an attack because it begins suddenly, often after a fatty meal. The pain is severe and may last for 30 minutes or several hours.

Other symptoms include:

Intermittent pain on the right, below the ribcage
Bloating, nausea, and vomiting
Belching, gas, and indigestion
If you have the following symptoms, see your doctor right away:

Abdominal pain
Sweating
Chills
Low-grade fever
Jaundice (yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes)
Clay-colored stools
Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam.

Tests may include:

Abdominal x-ray —a test that uses radiation to take a picture of structures inside the body, about 15% of gallstones can be seen on plain x-rays.
Ultrasound —a test that uses sound waves to find gallstones
Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)—an accurate and non-invasive means of evaluating the pancreas and gallbladder
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) —a test that uses a combination of endoscopy (the use of a flexible fiberoptic camera to look into your digestive system) and x-rays
Cholecystogram or cholescintigraphy—x-rays that show movement of the gallbladder and any blockage of the cystic duct that carries bile to the bile duct
Blood tests—may be used to find an infection, jaundice, pancreatitis , or an obstruction

The gallbladder stores bile. This fluid is produced in the liver and used in the small intestine to digest fat. Bile contains cholesterol, water, bilirubin, and bile salts.

Gallstones can form under the following conditions:

Too much absorption of bile salts from the bile
Too much absorption of water from the bile
Too much cholesterol in the bile
Inflammation of the lining of the gallbladder
Risk Factors
These factors increase your chance of developing gallstones. Tell your doctor if you have any of these risk factors:

Age: older than 60 years old
Sex:
Women between 20-60 years old and
Women with high estrogen levels due to pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, or hormone replacement therapy
Obesity
Race: Pima Indians and other Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and Northern Europeans
Use of cholesterol-lowering drugs
Diabetes
Rapid weight loss and fasting
Previous gallstones
Diseases of the gallbladder and ducts
Blood diseases, including sickle cell anemia

Treatment
Surgical Treatments
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the removal of the gallbladder through several small incisions in the abdomen. To view the gallbladder, a small, lighted tube with a camera is inserted into one of the incisions. Surgical instruments are used to remove the gallbladder through one of the other incisions.

Open Cholecystectomy
Open cholecystectomy is the removal of the gallbladder through a large incision in the abdomen. This is necessary if there is an infection in the abdomen or a great deal of scar tissue.

Nonsurgical Treatments
Your doctor may give you medication to dissolve small stones. It may take months or years for the medication to dissolve all of the stones.

If you are diagnosed with gallstones, follow your doctor's instructions .

I hope this has helped-
Susan

September 20, 2018 - 1:32pm
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