Cholecystitis is an infection or inflammation of the gallbladder. It is experienced in a number of ways but especially as pain in the upper right abdomen. It is usually dull pain that often comes after eating a fatty meal or when you have fasted overnight. Many patients also see a change in their stool because it can turn tan rather than the darker brown we all know about. So what’s going on? The gallbladder is located just under the liver in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. It is designed to release bile salts when you eat a fatty meal as these salts help in the digestion of fat. Unfortunately, stones can form in the gall bladder (cholelithiasis) and these may obstruct the small duct that allows the bladder to empty on demand. That hurts.

When an attack occurs you may need pain medicine until the pain subsides. An ultrasound of the abdomen can usually confirm the diagnosis. Some times the gallbladder just quits working (no stones) and this can cause pain as well (acalculus Cholecystitis). Four “F’s” help diagnose those likely to have this disease. They are female, forty, fat and family history. Not everyone who has this will need surgery. It depends on the frequency and severity of attacks. Good luck. If there is a lot of recurrence of pain, surgery is indicated.