All about polyps

**What is a gallbladder polyp?** A gallbladder polyp is an abnormal growth of tissue that protrudes from the inner mucosal lining of the gallbladder. There are several different types of gallbladder polyps that are made of different materials. Most of these polyps are harmless, but they can be a sign of another gallbladder disease. Gallbladder polyps may rarely cause complications such as inflammation, and about 5% of them become cancerous. **What is the gallbladder?** The gallbladder is part of the digestive system and is a small, hollow organ that sits below your liver. The gallbladder looks like a fig and its job is to receive bile from the liver and condense it (extract water) while storing it. When fats enter the digestive system, the gallbladder is stimulated to release concentrated bile into the small intestine to help break down fats.

**Types of gallbladder polyps** There are three main types of gallbladder polyps: pseudopolyps, inflammatory polyps, and true gallbladder polyps. - **false polyps** Pseudopolyps, also known as cholesterol polyps, are the most common type of gallbladder polyps, accounting for 60 to 90 percent of all gallbladder polyps. These polyps are the result of a benign disease called cholesterolosis, which indicates that a person has excess cholesterol fats that accumulate and stick to the wall of the gallbladder, forming polyps. Therefore, false polyps are non-cancerous masses full of cholesterol. Their presence sometimes indicates an underlying gallbladder problem, such as chronic cholecystitis. This term is used for inflammation of the gallbladder, which occurs when the gallbladder does not drain adequately. - **Inflammatory polyps** Inflammatory polyps make up 5 to 10% of all gallbladder polyps. These polyps indicate inflammation in the gallbladder wall. Doctors usually see inflammatory polyps in people who have experienced cholecystitis more than once and those who have acute biliary colic. Biliary colic occurs when gallstones block the bile duct, which usually causes pain after eating. Inflammatory polyps are not associated with gallbladder cancer. - **True Gallbladder Polyp** True gallbladder polyps are rare. Polyps have the potential to become cancerous. The diameter of these polyps is usually 5 to 20 mm, and those larger than 1 cm are more likely to be cancerous. When a person has a larger polyp, the doctor may recommend removing the gallbladder.

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**How common are gallbladder polyps?** Studies show that 4 to 7 percent of adults may develop gallbladder polyps. But only 5% of these cases can turn into cancer. Between 60 and 90 percent of gallbladder polyps are pseudotypes, that is, they are not real tumors, but cholesterol deposits that stick to the gallbladder wall. Another 5 to 10 percent are inflammatory polyps that result from chronic inflammation. **Can gallbladder polyps cause pain?** Most polyps do not cause any pain or symptoms at all. In rare cases, if they block one of the ducts leading to the gallbladder, they may cause inflammation and pain, or gallstones may cause inflammation and pain in the gallbladder. **What symptoms does a gallbladder polyp cause?** Gallbladder polyps usually cause no symptoms and are discovered by chance when a doctor is looking for something else. However, a small number of them may cause symptoms when they block one of the ducts that branch off from the gallbladder: the cystic duct or the common bile duct. Polyps that develop in the cystic duct may obstruct the flow of bile into the gallbladder and cause inflammation of the gallbladder wall (cholecystitis). Fragments that break off and enter the bile duct may block the flow of bile from the gallbladder and cause inflammation of the bile duct (cholangitis) or pancreas (pancreatitis). Symptoms of inflammation may include the following: - Abdominal pain - Fever - Nausea and vomiting - Jaundice Rarely, these symptoms may indicate gallbladder cancer.

**What is the cause of gallbladder polyps?** True tumors are caused by abnormal growth of cells, the cause of which is unknown. Cholesterol polyps and inflammatory polyps of the null sac do not have real growth and are caused by different conditions. Cholesterol polyps are caused by cholesterolosis and inflammatory polyps are caused by cholecystitis. These two types make up the majority of gallbladder polyps. **What risk factors are associated with gallbladder polyps?** People with high levels of cholesterol or salt in their bile are at greater risk for developing gallbladder polyps. If you have the following, the possibility of developing gallbladder polyps may increase: Gallstones - Cholecystitis - Cholangitis - Hepatitis B - Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) - Petz-Jeggers syndrome - High cholesterol - The person must be over 50 years old. **How is a gallbladder polyp diagnosed?** Gallbladder polyps are often discovered incidentally during a radiological examination, such as an abdominal ultrasound. If you are looking to check the health of the gallbladder, the doctor will probably ask us to do an ultrasound first. Healthcare professionals can detect gallbladder polyps this way, but they may not be able to tell what type they are and may want to use a more detailed imaging test, such as a CT scan or endoscopy, to determine the type of gallbladder polyp.

**How do I know if a gallbladder polyp is cancerous?** Unfortunately, healthcare professionals cannot definitively tell if polyps are cancerous without removing them. They cannot remove polyps without removing the entire gallbladder. Although you can live well without a gallbladder, doctors are reluctant to remove it without good reason. Therefore, they try to check the possibility of getting cancer based on the symptoms and dangerous factors that appear in the person. Malignant polyps are larger than benign polyps and are usually more than 2 cm in diameter. In order to maintain a person's health, the doctor usually recommends removing a polyp of 1 cm or more. It is also recommended to remove these polyps in case of symptoms of inflammation, such as pain and fever. Of course, it is necessary to monitor the remaining polyps in order to maintain the health of the person. **How fast do polyps grow in the gallbladder?** A polyp typically grows less than 2 mm per year. A malignant polyp may grow faster. If your doctor measures faster growth during your annual exam, he may recommend removing the polyp. Benign polyps tend to appear in large numbers, while malignant polyps are usually single. If the number of hepatobiliary polyps in a person grows rapidly, they are probably not malignant. But they may indicate another condition such as chronic cholecystitis. **Do gallbladder polyps disappear on their own?** The answer to this question is negative. Some types of polyps may go away on their own, but this is not the case with gallbladder polyps, they are more likely to grow in size and number over time, and there is no way to remove them without surgery. **How is gall bladder polyp treated?** - **Observation:** Most polyps do not cause any problems or do not require treatment, but the doctor may want to monitor the person to make sure that the polyps do not grow too large or too fast or cause new symptoms. The doctor will do this with periodic ultrasound tests. If he observes a worrisome trend, he recommends removing the gallbladder. - **Surgery:** It may be thought that surgery is a drastic operation to deal with these polyps, but you should know that removing the gallbladder is the only known treatment for gallbladder diseases. If the patient's polyp is accompanied by inflammation or gallstones, the doctor recommends removing it to prevent further complications. On the other hand, gallbladder removal is recommended to remove possible cancer masses. Because a person can live well without a gall bladder. There are two types of surgery to remove the gallbladder: - **Laparoscopic cholecystectomy** is a minimally invasive surgery that allows the surgeon to remove the gallbladder through several small incisions. Instead of opening the person's abdomen, the surgeon inserts a small lighted camera called a laparoscope through a small incision and uses it to locate the gallbladder on the screen. Then they remove the gallbladder through another small incision. Surgeons prefer to use the laparoscopic approach whenever possible because it causes fewer complications and a faster recovery time (about two weeks). - **Open cystectomy bag** may be necessary when cancer is suspected. Because the surgeon may have to remove other affected tissues and lymph nodes outside the gallbladder. An open cholecystectomy requires a larger incision under the right ribcage to open the person's abdomen and is a longer procedure with a longer recovery time (about six to eight weeks).

**What are the possible risks or complications of gallbladder removal surgery?** Surgery is always associated with risks such as bleeding, anesthesia complications and damage to nearby organs. These risks are small compared to potential cancer risks, and gallbladder removal has no long-term side effects. **What happens after surgery and gallbladder removal?** Most people make a full recovery after gallbladder removal and their symptoms do not return. The digestive system will continue to function without the gallbladder. The liver deposits bile directly into the small intestine without first storing it in the gallbladder. Although a person may have to restrict their fat intake immediately after surgery, most people return to their normal diet after a few weeks. **The last word is...** Gallbladder polyps come in many forms, but the vast majority are nothing to worry about. If polyps are seen on an ultrasound they may provide a clue to another condition, but are not likely to be the cause of the person's symptoms. If a doctor detects a polyp that has the potential to become cancerous, he may recommend removing it, even if the probability is only 0.5. If this happens, you will go on with your life just fine without a gallbladder. Most polyps removed this way are benign. **You can contact us for more information and advice.** Stay in touch with us

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