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Gallstones Center - La Crosse, WI

La Crosse Gastroenterologist Doctors for Gallstones

Type of Physician: Gastroenterologist

What is a Gastroenterologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated.

Specialty: Gastroenterology

Common Name: GI Doctor

Gastroenterologist Doctors in La Crosse *

Franciscan Skemp Medical Center
Gregory L Cramer
700 West Ave S
Internal Medicine Specialists
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 791-9862

Franciscan Skemp Medical Center
Robert D Shaffer
700 West Ave S
Internal Medicine Specialists
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 791-9862

Gundersen Lutheran Whitehall WI
Frank J Aberger
18606 Ervin St
Whitehall, WI 54773
(715) 538-4355

Gundersen Lutheran Whitehall WI
Heather J Chial
18606 Ervin St
Whitehall, WI 54773
(715) 538-4355

Midelfort Clinic Gastroenterology
Gregory A Derfus
1221 Whipple St
Gastroenterology
Eau Claire, WI 54703
(715) 838-6020

Midelfort Clinic Gastroenterology
Charles R Nordstrom
1221 Whipple St
Gastroenterology
Eau Claire, WI 54703
(715) 838-6020

Midelfort Clinic Gastroenterology
Jaime Zighelboim
1221 Whipple St
Gastroenterology
Eau Claire, WI 54703
(715) 838-6020

Marshfield Clinic Marshfield Center Gastroenterology
Jane E Kennedy
1000 N Oak Ave
Gastroenterology Dept
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 221-7822

Marshfield Clinic Marshfield Center Gastroenterology
John P Kirchner
1000 N Oak Ave
Gastroenterology Dept
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 221-7822

Marshfield Clinic Marshfield Center Gastroenterology
Patricia A Kuzma-Sell
1000 N Oak Ave
Gastroenterology Dept
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 221-7822

Marshfield Clinic Marshfield Center Gastroenterology
Gary P Mayeux
1000 N Oak Ave
Gastroenterology Dept
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 221-7822

Marshfield Clinic Marshfield Center Gastroenterology
Christopher J Rall
1000 N Oak Ave
Gastroenterology Dept
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 221-7822

Marshfield Clinic Marshfield Center Gastroenterology
Michael E Ryan
1000 N Oak Ave
Gastroenterology Dept
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 221-7822

Marshfield Clinic Marshfield Center Gastroenterology
Camille F Torbey
1000 N Oak Ave
Gastroenterology Dept
Marshfield, WI 54449
(715) 221-7822

La Crosse, Wisconsin

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Gallstones

What are gallstones?

Gallstones (often misspelled gall stones, or gall stone) are stones that form in the gall (bile). (The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ just below the liver and stores the bile secreted by the liver.)

  • Bile is a watery liquid made by the cells of the liver that is important for digesting food in the intestine, particularly fat.
  • Liver cells secrete the bile they make into small canals within the liver.
  • The bile flows through the canals and into larger collecting ducts within the liver (the intrahepatic bile ducts).
  • The bile then flows within the intrahepatic bile ducts out of the liver and into the extrahepatic bile ducts-first into the hepatic bile ducts, then into the common hepatic duct, and finally into the common bile duct.

From the common bile duct, there are two different directions that bile can flow.

  • The first direction is on down the common bile duct and into the intestine where the bile mixes with food and promotes digestion of food.
  • The second direction is into the cystic duct, and from there into the gallbladder (often misspelled as gall bladder).

Once in the gallbladder, bile is concentrated by the removal (absorption) of water. During a meal, the muscle that makes up the wall of the gallbladder contracts and squeezes the concentrated bile in the gallbladder back through the cystic duct into the common duct and then into the intestine. (Concentrated bile is much more effective for digestion than the un-concentrated bile that goes from the liver straight into the intestine.) The timing of gallbladder contraction-during a meal-allows the concentrated bile from the gallbladder to mix with food.

Gallstones usually form in the gallbladder; however, they also may form anywhere there is bile; in the intrahepatic, hepatic, common bile, and cystic ducts.

Gallst...

Recommended Reading Related to Gallstones

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan) »

What is an MRI scan?

An MRI (or magnetic resonance imaging) scan is a radiology technique that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer to produce images of body structures. The MRI scanner is a tube surrounded by a giant circular magnet. The patient is placed on a moveable bed that is inserted into the magnet. The magnet creates a strong magnetic field that aligns the protons of hydrogen atoms, which are then exposed to a beam of radio waves. This spins the various protons of the body, and they produce a faint signal that is detected by the receiver portion of the MRI scanner. The receiver information is processed by a computer, and an image is produced.

The image and resolution produced by MRI is quite detailed and can detect tiny changes of structures within the body. For some procedures, contrast agents, such as gadolinium, are used to increase the accuracy of the images.

When are MRI scans used?

An MRI scan can...

Emergency Contact for La Crosse

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby La Crosse Hospitals *

Franciscan Skemp Healthcare LaCrosse Campus
700 West Ave S
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608)785-0940

Gundersen Lutheran
1910 South Ave
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608)782-7300

Franciscan Skemp Healthcare Sparta Campus
310 W Main St
Sparta, WI 54656
(608)269-2132

Winona Community Memorial Hospital
855 Mankato Ave
Winona, MN 55987
(507)454-3650

Vernon Memorial Hospital
507 S Main St
Viroqua, WI 54665
(608)637-2101

Franciscan Skemp Healthcare Arcadia Campus
464 S St Joseph Ave
Arcadia, WI 54612
(608)323-3341

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