Gallstones News and Research

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Gallstones are small, pebble-like substances that develop in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped sac located below your liver in the right upper abdomen. Gallstones form when liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material. The liquid—called bile—helps the body digest fats. Bile is made in the liver, then stored in the gallbladder until the body needs it. The gallbladder contracts and pushes the bile into a tube—called the common bile duct—that carries it to the small intestine, where it helps with digestion.

Removal of gallbladder through vagina offers minimally invasive alternative

Physicians at Northwestern Memorial Hospital successfully removed a patient's gallbladder through the vagina, making them the first in the Midwest and the third in the country to perform the innovative procedure.

25 Feb 2009

Costs of digestive diseases grown to more than $141 billion a year

Digestive, liver and pancreatic diseases result in more than 100 million outpatient visits and 13 million hospitalizations annually at a cost of $141.8 billion.

10 Feb 2009

Antioxidant supplementation effective in relieving pain in chronic pancreatitis

Antioxidant supplementation was found to be effective in relieving pain and reducing levels of oxidative stress in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), reports a new study in Gastroenterology.

1 Jan 2009

Scientists find 12 new genes with potential as drug targets

Scientists have identified 12 new genes that are somewhat strange bedfellows: Some link gallstones and blood cholesterol levels, others link melatonin and sleep patterns to small increases in glucose levels and larger jumps in the risk of diabetes.

8 Dec 2008

CT useful and effective in diagnosis of patients with large bowel obstruction

The use of CT is highly effective in confirming large bowel obstruction and identifying the site and cause of obstruction, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of South Manchester in Manchester, UK.

11 Apr 2008

Exercise may reduce gallstones

A new University of Illinois study shows that exercise-trained mice get far fewer gallstones than sedentary mice and identifies potential mechanisms to explain why this occurs.

14 Feb 2008

Early surgical treatment contributes to better outcomes in gallstone pancreatitis cases

Although delaying surgical treatment remains the standard of care for patients with severe gallstone pancreatitis, a new study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that, contrary to widespread belief, early cholecystectomy -- or surgical removal of the gallbladder -- significantly reduces hospital stays in patients with mild to moderate gallstone pancreatitis with no increase in complications or mortality.

20 Dec 2007

CT colonography used in elderly patients detects a high number of abnormalities outside the colon

CT colonography (CTC), when used in elderly patients, can detect a high number of new and significant abnormalities outside the colon (including cirrhosis and tumors) and is well tolerated, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at St. James's University Hospital in Leeds, United Kingdom (UK).

16 Nov 2007

Exclusion of common bile duct stones prior to gallstone operations

CBDS occur in 7-20% of all patients undergoing a gallstone operation and may complicate the course of surgery.

1 Nov 2007

FDA approves Somatuline Depot to treat acromegaly

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Somatuline Depot (lanreotide acetate injection) for the treatment of acromegaly, a rare and potentially life threatening disease in adults caused by abnormal secretion of growth hormone (GH), commonly from a benign tumor located in the pituitary gland located in the brain.

30 Aug 2007

Have you ever experienced pain in your abdomen?

Of course, all of us have experienced a “belly ache” sometime in our lives, but how can you decide when abdominal pain is serious? While most stomach pain isn't serious, persistent or severe pain should not be ignored.

16 Aug 2007

A run to the coffee shop may prevent skin cancer

Researchers in the United States have discovered that the combination of daily exercise and a cup of coffee may help prevent skin cancer.

30 Jul 2007

Tips on gallstone disease

Gallstones are one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) problems, especially for women.

25 Jul 2007

Discovery of gallstone gene

Scientists at the University of Bonn, together with colleagues from Romania, have discovered a gene variant that significantly increases the risk of developing gallstones (Hepatology No. 46, 11 July 2007, DOI 10.1002/hep.21847).

11 Jul 2007

New research in animals uncovers another mechanism of cholesterol lowering drug ezetimibe

It had previously been thought that the drug works by preventing cells in the intestine from absorbing cholesterol. The new research suggests that Zetia also works in the liver.

17 Jun 2007

Groundbreaking robotic pancreatectomy

Surgeons at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago performed a groundbreaking robotic pancreatectomy in a 39-year-old man to relieve him of debilitating pain.

1 Jun 2007

"Cup of joe" found to have more health benefits

According to a new study drinking coffee may offer protection from type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

7 May 2007

Moderate coffee drinking reduces many risks

Although the American Society for Nutrition's popular ,controversy session, at Experimental Biology 2007 focuses on the health effects of coffee drinking, panel chair Dr. James Coughlin, a toxicology/safety consultant at Coughlin & Associates, says that recent advances in epidemiologic and experimental knowledge have transformed many of the negative health myths about coffee drinking into validated health benefits.

1 May 2007

World's first no-scar surgery

On April 2, 2007, at the University Hospital of Strasbourg in France, Professor Jacques Marescaux and his team successfully performed the world's first no-scar surgery.

27 Apr 2007

Drains increase harm without providing any benefit for patients undergoing open cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy is the term used to describe the surgical removal of a gallbladder. It is performed mainly as a treatment for chronic gallstones. Although many operations are now carried out by laparoscopy, some are still done by open surgery. In these operations there is an ongoing debate about whether drains should be used.

19 Apr 2007