What does the Gall Bladder do?

The gallbladder is an organ and sits below the liver in the upper right side of your abdomen (belly). The gallbladder functions normally to store bile (a green yellow fluid) that is squeezed into your bowel after eating in order to help digest food containing fats / oils. Gallstones can form within the gallbladder, which can cause pain (usually in the upper abdomen or right side of the trunk) if the gall bladder squeezes against the stones. They can also block the gallbladder and create an infection which may become serious. If they pass out of your gallbladder they can cause serious problems of pancreatitis, jaundice or cholangitis (bile duct infection). Sometimes a person does not have gallstones as such, but ‘sludge’ in the gallbladder (like mud or sand) or polyps which can also cause the problems that gallstones do. These problems are identified by undergoing an ultrasound scan.