Gallstones
are solid particles that form within the gallbladder. Gallstones form from a liquid
substance called bile.
Bile is mostly made up of water, salts, cholesterol, and lecithin.
The liver makes bile and the gallbladder is the organ that stores it for later use.
During digestion, bile is secreted into the small intestine to help with the breakdown
of fat.
If the concentration of bile changes, particles can precipitate out of the
liquid bile, forming solids called gallstones within the gallbladder. Gallstones are
most often made up of cholesterol particles in 85% of the cases.
Gallstones often go unnoticed, but sometimes they can turn into potentially
serious conditions that may require care from your doctor.
Gallstones are the most common cause of gastrointestinal complications in the
United States—approximately 15 to 20 million people are affected by them.
They occur more often in women than men. Roughly 20% of females and 5% of males
develop cholelithiasis. Symptomatic gallstones occur more often in pregnant women. Roughly 500,000 surgeries to remove the gallbladder
(
cholecystectomy
) are
performed each year in the US.
