Gallstones

Selma’s grandpa Malik has not been feeling well the past couple of weeks. He’s been feeling nauseous and has been having slight stomach pains, after large meals. Today he’s feeling a little better, he’s visiting Selma. She’s given him a treat - a home cooked meal and cheesecake for dessert! All of a sudden, as they’re drinking tea after the meal, grandpa Malik doubles over and appears to be in a lot of pain.

What’s wrong grandpa? It’s like someone punched me just below my ribs. My shoulder hurts too. Selma sees drops of sweat on her grandpa’s forehead. When she wipes them off she can feel his forehead is burning.

It seems like grandpa Malik has a fever. Selma thinks something is very wrong with her grandpa so she calls an ambulance. When they get to the hospital a doctor examines grandpa Malik. The doctor runs some tests, and checks grandpa Malik’s stomach with a special machine. This machine sends sound waves through the skin and into the body, to create an ultrasound image of the insides.

With this ultrasound machine, the doctor can see some round things in the organ called the gallbladder. These are gallstones. But how did grandpa Malik get them? It all starts in another organ, the liver. The liver produces a fluid, called bile, which is stored in the gallbladder.

Bile is important for digestion as it helps break down fats. But sometimes bile can’t digest all fats, especially cholesterol. So, these undigested fats become concentrated in the bile. This can lead to formation of tiny, fatty crystals in the bile. These crystals may become solid stones - gallstones.

These cholesterol gallstones are the most common type. People with an unhealthy diet, an inactive lifestyle or family history of gallstones are at a higher risk of developing this type of gallstone. There is another way in which gallstones can form. The liver produces a substance called bilirubin. If the liver produces too much bilirubin, the concentration of it in the gallbladder will rise and might lead to the formation of gallstones.

People with liver disease are usually at a higher risk of developing this type of gallstone. Gallstones don’t usually cause any problems for the person who has them. But a small number of people might develop a serious and painful condition. This can happen, for example, if the gallbladder becomes inflamed or the gallbladder stones move and start blocking a part of the digestive system. In grandpa Malik’s case, his gallbladder has become inflamed.

The doctor will need to perform surgery to remove the whole gallbladder. Luckily the gallbladder is not an essential organ. If grandpa Malik eats healthily, he will be able to live a normal life afterwards. Although he might have to skip his favourite cheesecake.