Bariatric

The Risk of Gallstones with Obesity

Learn how gallstones occur and their link to obesity, and ways you treat them for overall wellness.

What are gallstones?

Gallstones are hardened deposits of bile that occur in the gallbladder. They might be as small as grains of sand or sometimes as big as the size of golf balls.

Common Symptoms

  • Intense pain in the upper & center of the abdomen
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Pale-yellow skin and eyes
  • Darker urine with light-colored poop
  • Sweating with fever

When to see a Doctor

  • Severe abdominal pain.
  • High fever with chills
  • Severe jaundice signs
  • Clay-colored stools
  • History of gallstones, or associated complications.

Early detection is important for managing the condition and preventing further complications.

Schedule a consultation today.

Causes and Risk Factors

  • Having excess cholesterol & bilirubin in the bile
  • Hereditary blood disorders
  • Decreased levels of bile salts in the bile.
  • The gallbladder doesn’t empty properly.
  • Obesity and being overweight.

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Abdominal ultrasound
  • Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
  • Other imaging tests like HIDA, CT, MRCP, ERCP, etc.
  • Blood tests
  • Sphincterotomy

Treatment Options

  • Medication to treat small gallstones
  • Cholecystectomy (for gallbladder removal)
  • Medications (like Ursodeoxycholic acid or Chenodiol)
  • ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography)
  • Shock wave lithotripsy

Bariatric

Doral Health & Wellness Weight Management Department

Achieve lasting weight loss and better health with Doral Health & Wellness Bariatrics. We offer minimally invasive solutions to treat obesity, improve diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and more.
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Bariatric

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