Ultrasound of the abdomen makes it possible to establish the diagnosis, detecting 90% of stones. It is associated with biological examinations (blood test) in order to estimate the seriousness of the situation. Treatment is indicated when gallstones cause painful attacks or complications. When gallstones are discovered by chance during a medical examination and do not cause discomfort, it is not recommended to treat them.

meaʻai

It is prescribed for a period of at least 48 hours.

Foma'i

In a seizure, the gallstone can block a duct through which the bile passes. This leads to difficulty in the flow of bile and reactions of inflammation, and distress of the gallbladder wall (ischemia or lack of oxygen, necrosis or destruction of cells in the wall) and sometimes bacterial infection of the gallbladder. ‘where essential medical treatments.

fualaau

They are prescribed on the basis of criteria making it possible to estimate whether the presence of bacteria is probable in the bile fluid. These criteria include the severity of symptoms, age, presence of chills, diabetes, poor immunity, temperature above 38 ° 5 and laboratory tests.

Fanafainā

The hepatic colic attack being sometimes very painful, analgesics are essential. The doctor prescribes non-opioid analgesics such as Visceralgine.

Antispasmodics

Combined with analgesics, such as Spasfon.

Antiemetics

These are medicines for nausea and vomiting, for example, Primperan.

tīpiga

In the event of hepatic colic or biliary colic, the painkiller treatment allows the painful crisis to be overcome. An abdominal ultrasound is however always performed and in case of calculus, an operation to remove the gallbladder is scheduled in the following month, so as to avoid recurrences or complications.

In the case of gallstones causing acute cholecystitis of mild or moderate severity, the surgeon performs thegallbladder aveese (cholecystectomy). This is the only sure way to avoid the recurrence of gallstones, which is common.

The operation is most often performed by laparoscopy, that is to say by making small incisions through which the surgeon passes optical fibers to see and the instruments necessary for the operation. This prevents a wide opening in the abdominal wall and allows for faster recovery. In some cases, however, the surgeon chooses to perform a laparotomy, that is to say an opening of the belly.

Recovery only takes a few days. This intervention is very frequent and the consequences in general very positive. When cholecystitis is severe, the operation involves draining the gallbladder from the skin.

During such operations, the surgical team performs a cholangiographie peropératoire, examination to detect a stone in the other intra- or extrahepatic bile ducts, and in the main bile ducts. If they exist they could trigger complications later on and they should therefore be treated.

Removal of the gallbladder usually has few long-term consequences. Ina ua maeʻa le taotoga, the liver continues to produce bile, which passes through the common bile duct and is directly discharged into the small intestine. The person can therefore eat normally. The bile is then secreted more frequently, which can cause more watery stools. If the problem exists and is proving to be very bothersome, some changes in the diet can help, such as avoiding fatty and spicy foods and consuming more fiber.

In addition, cholestyramine (for example, Questran®), a medicine that absorbs bile in the intestine, helps to control this situation.