Useful words

Acute – a short sharp illness that may be severe but from which most people will recover in a few weeks without lasting effects.

ALP – alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme found in certain membranes of the liver. Increases in ALP and another liver enzyme called gamma-glutamy transferase (GGT), can indicate obstructive or cholestatic liver disease (where bile is not properly transported from the liver because of a problem with the bile duct). 

Bile – a yellow-green fluid produced by your liver to aid digestion. It contains chemicals as well as waste products and plays a central role in helping the body digest fat.

Bile ducts – the tubes carrying bile from your liver to your small intestine (duodenum or gut).

Bilirubin – a yellow pigment and a waste product normally disposed of by the liver in bile.

Cholecystitis – an inflammation of the gallbladder.

Cholesterol – a type of fat (lipid) made by the liver from the food you eat. Cholesterol is found in all the cells of your body and is necessary to help them function. However, excess cholesterol from food is circulated in the blood. A high cholesterol level in the blood causes an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. 

Cholangitis – an inflammation of the bile ducts.

Cirrhosis – where inflammation and fibrosis have spread to disrupt the shape and function of the liver. Even with no signs or symptoms of liver disease, the working capacity of liver cells has been badly impaired and they are unable to repair the liver. This is permanent cell damage and can lead to liver failure or liver cancer.

ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) – a procedure which gives detailed X-rays of the pancreatic and bile ducts, to show any abnormalities in the flow of your bile. Sometimes used to remove stones which have passed into the bile duct.

Inflammation – the body’s protective reaction to injury, involving swelling, pain, redness and heat.

Jaundice – a condition in which the whites of the eyes go yellow and in more severe cases the skin also turns yellow. This is caused by accumulation in the blood of bilirubin, a yellow pigment and a waste product normally disposed of by the liver in bile. 

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy – often referred to as ‘keyhole’ surgery, which is used to remove the gallbladder. This technique is performed via small incisions, using cameras to direct the procedure.

Liver function tests (LFTs) – a panel of tests used to indicate whether your liver is inflamed (hepatitis), damaged or not working properly. They measure levels of certain enzyme and protein substances in your blood that may alter when liver damage is present.

Open cholecystectomy – a surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder through a large incision in the abdomen. 

Pancreatitis – an inflammation of the pancreas caused by an obstruction to the flow of digestive juices.

Phospholipids – an essential component of bile which, along with bile salts, help in the processing of cholesterol by keeping it in solution.  

Stent – a small, thin wire-mesh or plastic tube used when treating obstructions in the bile ducts. Where there is a narrowing (stricture) in the bile duct, the doctor will insert a stent to open up the duct to prevent it from collapsing.