US Medical Term · anatomy
Gallbladder
Vesícula biliar
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Gallbladder |
| Spanish (Español) | Vesícula biliar |
| Chinese (中文) | 膽囊 |
| Korean (한국어) | 담낭 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Túi mật |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Apdo |
| Portuguese (Português) | Vesícula biliar |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ถุงน้ำดี |
| Japanese (日本語) | 胆嚢 |
What it means
The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ about four inches long that sits beneath the liver in the upper right abdomen. Its job is to store and concentrate bile — a yellowish-green digestive fluid made by the liver — and release it into the small intestine after a meal to help digest fats. Gallstones are the most common gallbladder problem. They form when bile hardens into stone-like pieces inside the gallbladder, which can cause severe pain in the upper right abdomen — called biliary colic — especially after eating fatty foods. If a gallstone blocks the bile duct it can cause jaundice — yellowing of the skin. The gallbladder can be removed surgically — a cholecystectomy — and people live normally without it.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I had a gallbladder attack after eating a fatty meal — the pain was in my upper right side.
Tuve un ataque de la vesícula biliar después de comer una comida grasosa. El dolor estaba en el lado superior derecho.
The ultrasound found gallstones in my gallbladder and the surgeon recommends removing it.
El ultrasonido encontró cálculos biliares en la vesícula biliar y el cirujano recomienda extirparla.
After my gallbladder was removed laparoscopically I was back home the same day.
Después de que me extirparon la vesícula biliar por laparoscopia, regresé a casa el mismo día.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026