The gallbladder stores and releases bile which helps digest fats. Sometimes gallstones form in the gallbladder or bile ducts. Gallstones may cause pain.

What are gallstones?

Gallstones are stone-like objects that form in the gallbladder. Gallstones can be tiny (the size of a grain of sand), or may be as large as a golf ball. Depending on the symptoms, people who have gallstones may not need treatment, or they may need to take medication.

What is the gallbladder?

The gallbladder is an organ that resembles a small pear. It is located under the liver on the right side of the abdomen. The function of the gallbladder is to store and dispense bile, a fluid that is produced by the liver and helps digest fats in the foods you eat. Bile is made up of several substances, including bilirubin and cholesterol.

The gallbladder is connected to the liver and the intestine by a group of ducts, including the hepatic duct, the cystic duct, and the common bile duct. When you eat, the gallbladder sends bile through the common bile duct into the intestine to help you digest food, particularly fatty foods.

How do gallstones form?

There are 2 types of gallstones: pigment stones (made up of bilirubin) and cholesterol stones (made up of cholesterol). Most gallstones are cholesterol stones.

Cholesterol gallstones can form when there is too much cholesterol or bilirubin in the bile. Gallstones can also develop if the gallbladder does not completely empty itself of bile. Pigment gallstones may form in people who have certain conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver or blood disorders.