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Abdoment
: The area that begins just
below the ribs and extends to the pelvis.
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Bile
: A thick brown liquid made by the liver that helps the body digest
fats. It is stored in the gall bladder and released when food enters the
small intestine.
-
Bile
salts : Chemicals present in bile
that helps in the digestion of fats and also keep cholesterol dissolved in
the bile.
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Biliary
colic : A spasm-like pain
caused by contractions of the common bile duct.
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Bilirubin
: A pigment formed in the
body form broken down red blood cells. It is present in the bile as a
waste material to be eliminated from the body.
-
Cholelithiasis
: The medical term for
gallstones.
-
Cholecystitis
: An inflammation of the gall bladder.
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Cholecstectomy
: Surgical removal of the
gall bladder to treat gall stones.
-
Cholesterol
: A fatty material necessary for
many body processes.
-
Cirrhosis
: An inflammation of the liver that
can increase the risk of certain kinds of gallstones.
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Common
bile duct : The duct that collects bile from the liver and gall bladder,
as well as digestive juices from the pancreas, and carries them to the
small intestine.
-
Cystic
duct : The tube that carries bile
to and from the gall bladder
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Endoscope
: A thin, flexible
instrument that allows the visualization of the inside of the upper
gastro-intestinal tract.
-
Endoscopic
retrograde cholangiopancreatography ( ERCP) : A
procedure used to diagnose and sometimes remove gallstones blocking the
common bile duct.
-
Extracorporeal
shockwave lithotripsy ( ESWL) : A
procedure in which powerful shock waves produced by a medical instrument
are used to break up stones into small pieces.
-
Faeces
: Stool, undigested food and
other waste stored in the large intestine until it is eliminated from the
body.
-
Gall
bladder : The pear-shaped organ
located on the right side of the abdomen, it stores and releases bile.
-
Gall
stones : Stone-like objects that
form from cholesterol and other substances in the bile. They may be as
small as tiny crystals or as large as golf balls.
-
Hepatic
duct : The tube that collects bile
from the liver and delivers it to the gall bladder.
-
Hiatal
hernia : A condition that
occurs when part of the stomach bulges through the sheet of tissue that
separates the chest cavity from the abdomen.
-
Laparoscope
: An instrument used for
minimally invasive surgery.
-
Liver
: A large organ on the upper right
side of the abdomen that performs many important functions, including
making bile and cholesterol.
-
Oral
cholecystogram ( OCG) : X-rays done
after giving an iodine pill that makes stones visible.
-
Pancreas
: An organ that produces digestive
juices. It sometimes can become inflamed in people with gallstones.
-
Percutaneous
transhepatic cholangiography ( PTC) :
A procedure that involves injecting a dye into the bile ducts with a
needle.
-
Small
intestine : The part of the
digestive tract where food passes from the stomach and is broken down into
nutrients.
