Apollo Hospitals International, Ahmedabad

Gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ under the liver. It stores bile - a fluid made by liver to digest fat. As stomach and intestines digest food, gallbladder releases bile through tube called common bile duct. The duct connects gallbladder and liver to the small intestine. Gallbladder is most likely to give trouble if something blocks flow of bile through bile ducts (usually gallstone). Signs of a gallstone attack may include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Pain in abdomen, back, or just under right arm

Many gallbladder problems get better with removal of gallbladder. The flow of bile can be blocked by the following:

• Gallstones that pass out of the gallbladder into the ducts
• Injury to bile ducts during gallbladder surgery
• Disorders of the pancreas, which can narrow bile ducts that pass through the pancreas
• Tumors in pancreas/ bile ducts
• Infestation by parasites (in Asia)