Gallstones recur after surgery, what are the causes? can it be prevented?

It does not rule out the possibility of gallstones recurring even after surgical removal of the gallbladder. This chance of recurrence was noted in up to 24 percent of patients who had surgery in the first 15 years since their first gallstone. What causes gallstones to recur, even though you had surgery?

Causes of gallstones recurrence after surgery

Gallstones themselves are bile which crystallizes and solidifies like pebbles in the gallbladder. The main content of gallstones is cholesterol. Gallstones cause problems when these pebbles block one of the ducts that carry bile from the liver or gallbladder to the small intestine.

After the gallbladder is surgically removed, the gallstones should no longer be able to form in the bag - because the "container" is gone. But in some cases, gallstones can still form in other structures along the main bile duct.

There are several reasons why gallstones recur after the gallbladder is removed, including:

Genetic. The occurrence or recurrence of gallstones is more likely if you have a family history. Gallstones are also more likely in women and the elderly.
Weight. Obesity can raise cholesterol levels, making it more difficult for the liver to drain excess cholesterol from the body.
Diabetes. People who have diabetes tend to have high levels of triglycerides, which are risk factors for gallstones.
Lifestyle and certain drugs. If you diet too hard so that you lose weight dramatically, the liver can produce extra cholesterol which can cause gallstones.
Are currently taking certain drugs. Taking cholesterol-lowering drugs can also cause gallstones to recur. The reason is, the side effects of some of these drugs increase the amount of cholesterol in the bile thereby increasing the chance of your gallstones coming back again.

Apart from the various reasons above, during the removal procedure, gallstones may be able to pass from the gallbladder into the tube into the tube of the main bile duct or other bile duct. These "stray" and clogged gallstones can then cause pain and other complaints that are the same as those of predecessor gallstones - even after the gallbladder is removed. Even so, the chances of gallstones recurring from this scenario are quite low.

Recurrent gallstones may be due to your diet. What should be avoided?

Gallstones are most commonly formed from excess cholesterol in bile. To prevent the pain associated with gallstone attacks, many doctors and health practitioners recommend changing your daily diet.

Knowing which foods to avoid will reduce complaints from gallstones and can prevent gallstones from recurring to form new ones. Consider reducing or even eliminating eggs from your diet. Eggs contain high cholesterol. What's more, several studies have found a link between egg allergy and the formation of new gallstones and the irritation that appears as a symptom.

Reporting from Live Strong, the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics from Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital recommends people who have gallstones and who are prone to relapse to avoid meats with high fat content. These include red meat, pork, corned beef, sausage, and oily fish. Replace fatty meat with lean protein sources such as freshwater fish, or chicken and turkey. When preparing poultry, always clean the skin and fat to avoid irritation of gallstones.

In addition, you also need to avoid fried foods, processed foods (such as white bread, white rice, flour pasta, and refined sugar), and dairy products and their derivatives (such as cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and heavy cream) to prevent gallstones. relapse. Swap out your whole milk products for low-fat or skim varieties, or “dairy” products from plant sources, such as almond milk or coconut milk.