The gallbladder is about the size of a pear and is located on the right side of the abdomen, just beneath the rib cage. The gallbladder stores bile, a digestive fluid made by the liver. A meal signals the gallbladder to empty its bile into the small intestine through the common bile duct in order to help digest fats. However, patients who have had their gallbladders removed generally report few, if any, changes in digestion after operation. Gallstones are small rocks or crystals that form in the gallbladder.
Gallstones vary in size and number.
Some are small as sand, others are bigger than an inch. There may be one, or there may be hundreds. Low calorie, rapid weight-loss diets increase the risk. Women are twice as likely as men to have gallstones. Pregnancy and birth control pills predispose women to gallstones.