WEBVTT FILE

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The Gallbladder which helps
digest food is an organ that

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most of us never think about --
unless we have a problem such as

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Gallstones. Located beneath the
liver, the gallbladder stores

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bile, which is released into the
small intestine, where it helps

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break down fat from
food. Gallstones occur when

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cholesterol and other substances
in bile clump together and form

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hard, pebble-like deposits.
Gallstones vary in size from as

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tiny as a grain of sand to large
enough to take up a sizable part

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of the gallbladder. Not everyone
has symptoms, but the most

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common ones are intense pain in
the upper right or middle of the

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abdomen, pain in the back
or right shoulder, nausea or

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vomiting. “Gallstones, when they
block the gallbladder duct that

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leads to the intestines can
cause a severe amount of pain,

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and at times, in severe cases,
can cause jaundice, which is

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yellowing of the skin.” Risk
factors for gallstones include

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being female, 40 or older,
overweight or obese, having

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Liver Disease or Diabetes, a
family history of the condition,

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or rapid weight loss. To help
diagnose the condition, doctors

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use imaging tests such as
ultrasound to see the stones and

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where they're located.
“Gallstones without symptoms

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usually don't need to be treated
in which case we just tell

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patients to keep an eye out
for symptoms. If they develop

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symptoms, they should contact
us and let us know.” Surgery to

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remove the gallbladder, called
Cholecystectomy, is the most

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common treatment. You can
still digest food without a

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gallbladder. Other treatments
include a procedure called ERCP,

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in which a thin tube is inserted
down the esophagus and through

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the stomach to remove stones
located outside the gallbladder.

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And medications that dissolve
stones, which can take months or

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years to work. “Gallbladder
surgery is the only way to

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permanently treat gallstones.
Otherwise they may come back.

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You can reduce the risk
of gallstones returning by

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maintaining a healthy
weight and exercising.”