Gallstones & Biliary
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Gallstones are hard, pebble-like pieces of material, usually made of cholesterol or bilirubin, that develop in your gallbladder. When gallstones block your bile ducts, they can cause sudden pain, which means you need medical attention right away. If left untreated, they can cause complications.
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Cholecystitis is swelling and irritation, called inflammation, of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of the belly under the liver. The gallbladder holds fluid that digests food. This fluid is called bile. The gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine.
Most often, gallstones that block the tube leading out of the gallbladder cause cholecystitis.