Gallstones vs. Gallbladder Attack: What’s the Difference?

Have you ever felt pain in the right side of your abdomen after a heavy meal? It may be because you have gallstones. They can cause mild digestive upset or a painful gallbladder attack.

At Turnquest Surgical Solutions, our board-certified bariatric surgeons, Dexter Turnquest, MD, and Victoria C. Chang, MD, diagnose and treat digestive pain. You could have gallstones, which can cause gallbladder pain.

What is the gallbladder and what does it do?

Your gallbladder is located just below your liver. It aids in digestion. Your liver produces a liquid called bile, and your gallbladder stores the bile until it’s needed.

When you eat, your gallbladder activates and releases bile to your small intestine to help break down fats.

What are gallstones?

Gallstones are hard substances akin to stones that form in your gallbladder when your bile has an excess of cholesterol or when your gallbladder doesn’t empty as it should. The cholesterol forms little crystals that can clump to form the stones. They can be tiny or the size of a golf ball.

But you may have gallstones and never have any uncomfortable symptoms.

We may discover gallstones during a scan, but if they aren’t causing problems, there’s no reason to take action. If gallstones trigger what’s called a gallbladder attack, you need medical attention.

Gallstones aren’t the only reason you could have a gallbladder attack, though. It could result from a tumor, abscess, or other problem.

What are the symptoms of a gallbladder attack?

A gallbladder attack occurs when bile isn’t able to move in or out of your gallbladder. A gallstone prevents the bile from moving if it’s blocking a bile duct that leads to and from your gallbladder.

When your gallbladder can’t release the bile, you develop intense, sudden pain in your upper abdomen on the right side. That’s just one of several telling symptoms. Here are other signs you’re having a gallbladder attack:

Pain in your back
Pain in your right shoulder
Nausea
Fever
Chills
Jaundice (yellowing of the whites of your eyes and skin)

Surgery for a gallbladder attack

Surgery is the only safe option if you have a gallbladder attack. We normally use minimally invasive laparoscopy to remove a diseased gallbladder. It’s routine surgery. In most cases, you can go home the day of surgery and return to normal activities in about a week.

Call us at one of our Houston, Texas, locations or request an appointment online to learn more about gastric pain. We get to the root of your problem and help you recover if you suffer from gallstones or have a gallbladder attack.