What kind of doctor treats gallbladder disease

Most gallstones do not require treatment. A silent gallstone is a gallstone that does not cause symptoms. Gallstones typically require treatment only when they cause symptoms. Gallstones can block bile ducts, which may cause bile to build up in the gallbladder.

This bile build up can cause sudden pain in the upper right abdomen, and sometimes the shoulder area on the right side of your body. This is known as a gallbladder attack, or biliary colic. However, when you have a blockage in the gallbladder from a gallstone, this substance builds up and causes jaundice.

Gallbladder issues can cause tenderness in the upper right region of your abdomen. You may notice this area become sensitive when you touch or press on it. This could arise if you have gallbladder blockage or gallbladder cancer.

Any symptoms that seem abnormal should be checked by a doctor immediately. Your gallbladder plays an important role in fat digestion. If you notice discomfort or unpleasant symptoms after eating fatty foods, you should contact a gastroenterologist to get your gallbladder checked.

The color of your stool can be an indication of gallbladder problems. Specifically, when you have a gallbladder issue, your bowel movements may be clay-colored. Your liver produces bile salts that give stool its brown color.

Less frequently, cancer can occur within the gallbladder or bile ducts. Scripps gastroenterologists have extensive experience diagnosing and treating medical problems that affect the gallbladder and bile ducts, including:. Scripps doctors use a variety of tests and procedures to diagnose gallbladder disease, including one or more of the following:.

Scripps offers numerous medical and surgical treatment options for gallbladder disease, including:. Scripps gastroenterologists offer consultations or care for people with gallbladder disease at the following locations:. Scripps gastroenterologists have extensive experience diagnosing and treating medical problems that affect the gallbladder and bile ducts, including: Cholecystitis is the formal name for gallbladder inflammation. It can come on suddenly acute cholecystitis or occur repeatedly over a long period of time chronic cholecystitis.

It usually occurs after a bile duct becomes blocked, causing bile to build up inside the gallbladder. Gallstones are hard, stone-like masses that form inside the gallbladder or bile ducts.

While some gallstones are no larger than a grain of sand and cause few if any problems, they can grow large enough to block a bile duct.

Cholangitis , an infection in a tube called the common bile duct, which carries bile from the liver to the gallbladder. Bile duct cancer , or cholangiocarcinoma , is a rare form of cancer that occurs in one of the bile ducts.

While it is a slow-growing cancer, it is often not diagnosed until it is at an advanced stage. Gallbladder cancer is a rare form of cancer that begins in the gallbladder.