Woman Develops 1,500 Gallbladder Stones From High Junk Food Consumption And OTC Antacids

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In a shocking case, doctors here removed 1,500 stones from the gallbladder of a 32-year-old woman.

The woman, an IT professional, regularly consumed junk and fatty foods, which left her feeling bloated, distension, and heaviness. To overcome this, she routinely took over-the-counter (OTC) antacids for the last 3 to 4 months.

The woman also had a few episodes of recurrent pain in the right upper abdomen, which used to radiate to the back and shoulder on the right side. Most of the time, the pain was associated with nausea and vomiting.

She contacted her family physician, and an ultrasound was advised, which revealed that her gall bladder was full of stones.

Doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital advised keyhole surgery for the removal of the gallbladder (Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy) along with stones.

The team led by Dr Manish K Gupta, Vice Chairperson and Senior Consultant, Laparoscopic & General Surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, made 10mm and 5mm holes in her abdomen and took out the gallbladder.

“It was surprising to find out that the gall bladder was full of multiple large and small stones numbering almost more than 1,500,” the doctor said.

Dr Manish noted that changing lifestyles, sometimes long gaps between two meals, and long fasting that leads to the precipitation of bile are all increasing the incidence of gallstones in the country.

“Even though small, the stones may slip down to the Common Bile Duct (CBD) and lead to jaundice and pancreatitis. Similarly, large stones, if left untreated in the gallbladder for a very long time, can predispose to cancer of gall bladder due to chronic irritation,” he added.

The patient was discharged on the very next day of surgery and was able to eat a normal diet and move around independently, the doctor said.