Be careful with gallstones!

The gallbladder is a hollow, sac-shaped organ that is part of the digestive system. Its function is to store and release bile into the intestines, where it will help digest and absorb fats, turning them into fatty acids that our body uses for various processes.

Bile, that greenish or yellowish liquid which produced by the liver, travels to the gallbladder, where it is stored until it is full and ready to “release” a bunch of bile when it receives a “signal” to contract immediately after eating.

This secretion release is regulated through stimuli, which in turn are controlled by our eating habits.

“In order to form bile, proportions must be mixed specific bile saltsphospholipids, cholesterol, water, electrolytes and bilirubin,” explains Dr. Alfredo Orillac De Obaldía, general surgery and laparoscopy specialist at Paitilla Hospital.

In general, it happens that an excess of cholesterol can be created in the blood “precipitation” bile salts, which makes the bile thicker and less liquid.

“The development of these conditions over time causes the formation of the well-known ‘gallstones’, as we can see, they are not caused by one factor, but by the accumulation of several,” he says.

Most patients with cholelithiasis (80% or more) present in this way, however, there are special groups of patients (with blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia), which form particularly dark (black) stones or stones that are made of bilirubin. There are also chocolate stones, the formation of which is associated with some infections such as intestinal parasites.

What can they do?

A balanced diet, regular meals, and maintaining blood cholesterol levels within normal limits are the only aspects that can be modified in an attempt to prevent stones from forming before they appear.

However, there are many physiological, genetic, anatomical and functional factors that are beyond our control, so there is no guarantee that we can prevent their occurrence.