How are gallstones removed laparoscopically without surgery? The endoscope is one of the latest medical devices that help in diagnosing and treating various digestive system diseases. It is one of the newest modern methods used by doctors to diagnose and treat health problems related to the gallbladder, the bile duct, and the pancreatic duct without resorting to surgical intervention.
We will explain in detail the advantages of the endoscope and how gallstones are removed laparoscopically without surgery.
Gallstones
What are gallstones? Gallstones are most common in the gallbladder, such as cholesterol stones. Gallstones can also travel from the gallbladder to the main bile duct, which is the largest duct (tube) in the liver. Stones that enter the bile duct can cause conditions more serious than those that remain in the gallbladder.
They are also hard deposits of certain substances, such as cholesterol. Gallstones range in size, from very small stones the size of grains of sand to large stones that can cause a blockage of the bile ducts. Patients can also have several stones at the same time or just a single stone.
Stones in the bile ducts can block the main bile duct and cause a serious infection called cholangitis. These stones can also cause pancreatitis, a painful condition caused by inflammation of the pancreas.
Gallstones can be removed from the bile ducts by internal surgical endoscopy.
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Symptoms of Gallstones
There are many symptoms that a person with bile duct stones may feel, and we will explain the most common of these symptoms in the following lines, which are as follows:
- Feeling chronic pain in the back area.
- An increase in heart rate.
- Feeling pain in the right shoulder.
- A change in the color of the urine to a dark color.
- Feeling pain in the stomach.
- Recurrent nausea and vomiting.
- Diarrhea and indigestion.
- Weight loss as a result of loss of appetite.
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes).
Removing Gallstones Laparoscopically Without Surgery
How are stones removed from the bile duct endoscopically without surgery? Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a method that combines the use of X-rays and internal endoscopy, in which the endoscope is inserted into the mouth and guided to the openings of the stomach, the small intestine, and the bile ducts. A contrast agent is injected into the duct to take X-rays and examine abnormalities in the bile duct and the pancreas.
In the case of gallstones in the bile duct, the opening for stone removal can be widened using a marking cable, and the surgical wound heals within a few days.
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Steps for Removing Gallstones Laparoscopically Without Surgery
Stones are removed from the bile duct endoscopically without surgery according to several consecutive steps, which include the following:
- Through the mouth, the gallbladder endoscope enters directly into the duodenum. The presence of a side camera lens allows the doctor to identify the obstruction and detect its cause at the end of the bile duct.
- Then a very thin wire is inserted into the bile duct, and the cannula is placed over the wire to inject a dye that fills the entire bile duct to identify the blockage and its cause.
- In the case of stones, the treatment stage begins by widening the opening of the bile ducts as much as possible using the gallbladder endoscope so that the doctor can remove the stones, if they are small, through a balloon for removing stones.
- However, if the stones are too large to be removed from the opening, the stones are broken and then removed and extracted.
- Finally, the bile ducts are cleaned.
- Placing stents in the bile duct, as the bile ducts may be subject to blockage due to a number of factors, including the presence of stones in the bile duct or some tumors, such as tumors of the bile duct and the pancreas, which cause a blockage of the bile ducts and an increase in their level in the blood.
- Therefore, the patient must have a stent fixed to widen the duct. The stent may be made of plastic or metal in temporary cases if the condition lasts for a longer period of time.
- These stents are arranged according to the location of the narrowing, the length, and the size. The purpose of fixing stents in the bile ducts is to ensure the normal flow of bile, which positively affects the digestive system.
- The stents are inserted into the bile ducts through a medical catheter.
- The doctor may enter the site of the narrowing and then widen it with high-pressure balloons or by installing metal stents to prevent blockage of the bile ducts, especially since this in some cases causes inflammation of the gallbladder.
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How Long Does Laparoscopic Gallstone Removal From the Bile Duct Without Surgery Take?
Laparoscopic gallbladder removal takes approximately 45 minutes or 60 minutes, and the patient can return to practicing their normal life and activities within just 7 days after the operation.
The Best Place for Laparoscopic Gallstone Removal Without Surgery
If you suffer from stones in the bile duct and are looking for the best center or hospital to eliminate and remove stones from the bile duct without resorting to surgical intervention, you will find that at Town Hospital in New Cairo, the best place for laparoscopic removal of stones from the bile duct without surgery, under the supervision of a specialized medical staff trained to the highest level and under the supervision of the best gastroenterologist in Egypt.
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The Cost of Laparoscopic Gallstone Removal Without Surgery
How much does laparoscopic gallstone removal without surgery cost? To answer this question, it is necessary to learn about the factors that largely determine the calculation of the total cost of laparoscopic removal of stones from the bile duct without surgery, which are as follows:
- The reputation, experience, and skill of the treating physician.
- The cost of anesthesia and the additional anesthesia team. Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is performed under general anesthesia.
- The cost of staying in the hospital (if necessary). Thanks to the use of the endoscope, the patient is not expected to stay in the hospital. However, in some cases this must be necessary, unlike traditional operations, which require a hospital stay of two to three days.
- The location in terms of the center or hospital where the surgery will be performed.
- The cost of the tools and techniques used in the surgery.
- The nature of the medical condition and the extent of the health problems suffered, and the increase in additional costs for additional examinations and tests before performing the operation.
In conclusion, a person should visit a specialist gastroenterologist if they have, or suspect they are facing, a recurrent stomach problem, digestive system disorders, or the presence of gallstones along with the symptoms mentioned earlier, in order to carry out all examinations to diagnose and treat the symptoms accompanying digestive and stomach problems and to avoid any complications, as has been explained in the previous lines about how to remove stones from the bile duct laparoscopically without surgery.
The gastroenterology clinics at Town Hospital in New Cairo – the Fifth Settlement include the best treatment and diagnostic services at the hands of the best gastroenterologist in Egypt, and you can book your appointment online to receive early detection.