Acute Cholecystitis — Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment in Lucknow
Acute cholecystitis is a sudden inflammation of the gallbladder, most often caused by a gallstone blocking its outlet. It typically causes severe, persistent pain in the upper-right abdomen, frequently with fever — and unlike ordinary gallstone pain, it does not settle quickly on its own.
It is a condition that benefits from prompt specialist assessment. Dr Sandeep Kumar Verma treats acute cholecystitis in Lucknow at Medanta, with the experience and facilities to manage even severely inflamed gallbladders safely.
What is acute cholecystitis?
The gallbladder stores bile and releases it after meals. When a stone blocks the duct that drains the gallbladder, bile becomes trapped, the wall becomes inflamed and the gallbladder can become infected. This is acute cholecystitis.
Left untreated, a severely inflamed gallbladder can develop complications such as a collection of pus (empyema), gangrene of the wall, or perforation. Timely treatment prevents these and resolves the problem definitively.
Symptoms to watch for
- Severe, constant pain in the upper-right abdomen lasting more than a few hours
- Pain that may spread to the back or right shoulder blade
- Fever and chills, suggesting infection
- Nausea and vomiting
- Tenderness over the gallbladder, worse on breathing in
Causes & risk factors
- Gallstones blocking the gallbladder outlet (the great majority of cases)
- Thickened bile or sludge
- Rarely, inflammation without stones (acalculous cholecystitis), often in seriously ill patients
How it is diagnosed
- Clinical examination and history
- Abdominal ultrasound — confirms stones, a thickened gallbladder wall and fluid
- Blood tests showing raised inflammatory and, sometimes, liver markers
- CT or MRI in selected or complicated cases
How acute cholecystitis is treated
Initial treatment settles the acute episode with admission, intravenous fluids, antibiotics and pain relief. The definitive treatment, however, is removal of the gallbladder (laparoscopic cholecystectomy), because the problem will otherwise recur.
Current evidence supports early laparoscopic surgery — usually within the first few days of the attack — in suitable patients, as it is safe and avoids repeated admissions. Where a patient is too unwell for immediate surgery, the gallbladder may first be drained (a cholecystostomy) and removed later. As an experienced gallbladder surgeon in Lucknow, Dr Verma judges the safest timing and approach for each patient.
When to see a GI surgeon
- Severe upper-abdominal pain lasting more than a few hours — seek care promptly
- Pain with fever, chills or persistent vomiting
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice)
- Any severe, worsening abdominal pain — treat as urgent
Acute Cholecystitis: common questions
Is acute cholecystitis an emergency?
It is an urgent condition that needs prompt medical assessment, though it is not always operated on the same day. Early treatment relieves symptoms and prevents serious complications such as gangrene or perforation of the gallbladder. Severe or worsening abdominal pain with fever should be assessed without delay.
Should the gallbladder be removed during the first attack?
In most suitable patients, early laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder during the same admission is safe and is now the preferred approach, as it avoids repeated attacks and admissions. The decision depends on how unwell you are and how long the attack has been present, which Dr Verma will assess.
Concerned about acute cholecystitis?
Dr Sandeep Kumar Verma offers clear assessment and expert treatment. Book a consultation for personalised advice.