Ask Dr. H | You'll be fine without gallbladder

Question: Can you explain why we have a gallbladder? Mine was removed a number of years ago, and I'm doing fine without it.

Answer: The gallbladder is a hollow sac that's attached to the liver in the right upper part of the abdomen. Its job is to store bile - a detergent-like liquid that helps digest fats much like liquid soap breaks up the grease on your pots and pans. Bile is made by the liver and transported to the gallbladder, where it is concentrated and stored.

After meals, the gallbladder contracts and squeezes concentrated bile into the small intestine. And any waste that is produced by the liver - its job is to detoxify harmful substances and any medications you might be taking - is released into the gallbladder and eventually the intestines, where it is disposed of in the stool.

The presence of gallstones doesn't necessarily mean you need surgery. Many people have gallstones and don't know it. But a stone that blocks a duct - either entering the gallbladder or exiting to the intestines - will cause the classic, right-upper-abdominal pain of an inflamed gallbladder.

Factors that increase a person's likelihood of having gallstones and gallbladder problems are informally referred to as the "Five F's": female, fertile (still able to bear children), fat (associated with higher dietary fats), forty (middle-aged), and family history of gallstones.

When the gallbladder is removed surgically, your liver will still make bile that is then secreted directly into the intestines in nonconcentrated form. This is quite adequate for digesting the fats you eat and eliminating liver waste products. Once in a while, an extremely fatty meal may result in a mild case of diarrhea.

So yes, you can do fine without your gallbladder.