Pune doctors perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy to remove over 1000 stones from 30-year-old patient's gallbladder

Pune: Dr Shashank Shah, a leading laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon, LaparoObeso Centre performed a 20 minutes laparoscopic cholecystectomy with only three punctures to help a 30 year-old woman with abdomen pain by removing more than 1000 stones from the gallbladder. 

Kavita Kharat, (name changed)*, a resident of Pune experienced a sudden disruption in her daily life when she began experiencing severe abdominal pain during pregnancy. Upon evaluation, it was discovered that she had developed gallstones that were interfering with the normal functioning of her organs.

Dr Shashank Shah, a leading laparoscopic & bariatric surgeon, LaparoObeso Centre said, “Unfortunately, the patient began suffering from excruciating abdominal pain due to the presence of gall stones that interfered with her daily routine. Sonography indicated a significant obstruction in the outlet of her gall bladder known as the cystic duct, caused by a substantial accumulation of stones.

She would loudly cry out in pain and struggled a lot. This resulted in severe distension and discomfort in her gall bladder. After counseling, the patient as she had a baby to nurse and requested for a daycare surgery since the baby was a few months old, we scheduled for laparoscopic removal of gall bladder known as laparoscopic checystectomy.”

Dr Shah added, “After investigations, she underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy with only three punctures and the procedure was over in 20 minutes. She was pain free and could be discharged within 20 hours after surgery and could breastfeed her baby. This patient has small 1 to 2 mm greenish-yellow stones most likely cholesterol stones. The patient recovered well and is doing her daily activities without any pain or struggle.”

Gall stones are hardened deposits of the digestive juice called bile which form in the cavity of the gall bladder. They can be small, large single, or multiple. Most often symptoms of gall stones are not specific for example acidity, bloating after meals especially spicy and fatty foods discomfort in the upper abdomen, or gaseous bloating.

The causes of gallstones can be attributed to cholesterol in the blood, a high-fat diet, heredity, obesity, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, hormonal changes, and obesity. Textbooks used to say that gall stones are common in 4 Fs: fat fertile female of forty! Also, present changed style of diet has changed it and the incidence of gall stones have increased from 5 to 10 percent and upto 20 percent in Indian population.

Timely intervention is key for saving the lives of such patients. “When gall bladder tries to push the bile, a stone or a particle can get pushed into the duct giving rise to severe pain. If the stone blocks the main bile duct, bile can’t travel to the intestines and causes jaundice. If the stone gets stuck in the neck or opening of gall bladder, it can distend the gall bladder and even cause it burst, called perforation of gall bladder Even the opening of duct from pancreas joins the opening of the common bile duct and stone stuck here may cause a serious complication called pancreatitis.

Gallstone formation gives rise to chronic inflammation of the gallbladder and if untreated can cause serious health risks. Any vague symptoms of the upper abdomen should be investigated by sonography. Patients with diabetes should get gall stones treated early because complications of gall stones including infection and gangrene can remain pain-free and silent in initial phase due to diabetes,” underscored Dr Shashank Shah.

I was shocked to know that more than 1000 stones were removed from my gallbladder. I haven’t heard anything sort of this before. It was a dark and uncertain time, but amidst the fear and despair, Dr Shashank Shah and his team managed to save my life,” concluded the patient Mrs Kavita Kharat, (name changed)*.