Andhra Pradesh

Gall stones on the rise among young

HYDERABAD: Are you young and unable to resist red meat, cakes, ice creams? Think twice before getting into a gluttonous mood.

Presence of gall bladder stones among children and young adults, which used to be uncommon in the past, is increasingly becoming widespread posing a health hazard, warn medical experts.

While higher incidence among children is mainly attributed to genetic conditions like thalassemia and breakage of blood cells, change of dietary habits with higher fat consumption are leading to increased formation of cholesterol stones among the young. “Early age gall bladder stones has lot of consequences and can lead to complications like pancreatitis (inflammation of pancreas), jaundice and other infections,” said K. Ravindranath, CMD of Global Hospitals and president, Endoscopic and Laparascopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA).

Contrary to the textbook concept of four Fs (forty years, female, fertile and fat) being prone to formation of gall stones, the problem is increasingly surfacing even among those below 20 years. Besides, men are not lagging behind.

“We are seeing more and more pancreatitis in young persons. It is such a devastating disease that it can cause serious complications and mortality also,” Dr. Ravindranath cautioned.

Ramesh Kancherla, paediatric gastroenterologist, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, and Rajneesh Chander Reddy, laparascopic surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, also agreed that increased fat intake and sedentary lifestyles are leading to higher incidence of gall stones in youth.

Obviously a balanced diet and regular exercise are answer to prevent their formation.

Dr. Ravindranath said it was better to undergo laparoscopic removal of gall bladder through keyhole surgery, as complications could be serious and fatal at times. He sought to dispel misconceptions that removal of gall bladder would impact digestion.

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