If you experience severe pain in your abdominal area that is combined with gas and indigestion you may suffer from gallstones. Gallstone attacks can come about suddenly and last for up to 15 hours. Many people have gallstones in their gall bladder, but they don’t always cause symptoms. If the gallstones cause no problems doctors usually ignore it. If your gallstones are symptomatic, you most likely need gall bladder surgery to have your gall bladder removed. Doctors use an ultrasound machine to spot gallstones in the gall bladder.

Gall bladder removal is a simple procedure that can now be done laparascopically, meaning the surgery is very non-invasive. General anesthesia is used. Normally only 3-4 small incisions are made in the abdominal area. Recovery time is fast. The patient normally doesn’t stay in the hospital for more than a few days following this kind of surgery. After surgery, it may be necessary to cut out fatty or spicy food for a while until the digestive system gets used to digesting food without a gall bladder. After a few months, normal eating habits can be resumed.

It’s important to see a doctor immediately if you suspect you have gallstones to avoid more serious health complications.