Pregnancy combined with gallbladder stones and cholecystitis needs attention

  With the adjustment of the national two-child policy, more and more couples want to have an additional baby. Pregnancy combined with gallbladder stones, acute and chronic cholecystitis is also becoming more common. Gallstone attacks during this special period are sometimes very difficult because of the risk to both the fetus and the mother, as well as the need for eugenics. Education in this area of medical knowledge is extremely important. I have recently been exposed to many of these clinical cases and would like to present my opinion and recommendations.  There are several factors that increase the incidence of gallstone disease during pregnancy.  First, the incidence of gallbladder stones is already higher in women than in men, and the incidence will be even higher when they are older when they are pregnant with their second child.  During pregnancy, the intake of nutrition is richer than usual, and the activity is relatively less than usual, which is more likely to induce gallstone disease.  Third, the gallbladder function and morphology are changed during pregnancy. Due to the change of hormone level, the response of gallbladder to cholecystokinin decreases, gallbladder emptying is delayed, residual volume increases, bile stagnation, and gallbladder inflammation, gallbladder stones and bile duct obstruction easily occur.  Symptoms usually appear at night or after a full stomach and can occur at all stages of pregnancy. It is pain in the middle of the upper abdomen or right upper abdomen with reflexes to the back of the right shoulder or back, and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, chills, fever, jaundice, and still to shock. In late pregnancy, the difficulty of diagnosis increases due to the increase in the size of the uterus and the change in the location of the maternal abdominal organs.  For patients with gallbladder stones and cholecystitis combined with pregnancy, because of the risk of spontaneous miscarriage and preterm delivery in the beginning 3 months of pregnancy, it is important to try to take conservative treatment in the early and late stages of pregnancy and delay surgery until the middle of pregnancy or after delivery. It is more important to take into account the effects of drugs and surgery on the fetus during treatment, and to take appropriate measures according to the gestational cycle and the development of the fetus to try to ensure the mutual safety of the mother and the fetus.  The conservative treatment for this group of patients includes fasting, antispasmodic, gastrointestinal decompression, supportive therapy, and the application of sensitive antibiotics that do not affect the fetus as much as possible. Close observation of changes in the condition and timely surgery if the condition worsens. In principle, both mother and baby are taken into account, and if the condition is serious, a simultaneous cesarean section is not considered in principle if there are no obstetric pointers to save the mother’s life.  Therefore, for women who are preparing to become mothers, especially when they are mothers of two children, they must pay attention to the examination of the hepatobiliary system, and it is recommended to include hepatobiliary ultrasound as a routine preconception examination.  I. If you have a history of gallbladder stones and cholecystitis, it is recommended to have cholecystectomy before pregnancy.  2. If gallbladder stones are found, but there are no symptoms and the gallbladder contraction function is okay, gallbladder preservation and stone extraction can be performed first to avoid attacks during pregnancy.  If the attack occurs in the middle of pregnancy and conservative treatment is not effective, cholecystectomy can be performed.  If the attack occurs in early or late pregnancy and conservative treatment is not effective, percutaneous cholecystocentesis and drainage can be performed to help the pregnant woman get through this period. If there is gallbladder perforation, peritonitis, severe pancreatitis and other critical conditions, then only decisive surgery can be performed.  We hope that the above suggestions will help and that every mother and baby will be safe.