Dr. Hugh Leavell Houston MD

What is the gallbladder?The gallbladder is a four-inch, pear-shaped organ situated below your liver. It acts as a storage organ for bile, which is a mixture of fats, cholesterol, and fluids. The main purpose of bile is to help in breaking down fats during digestion. The whole process allows for easy...

Gallstones just like other stones such as kidney stones, can be very commonly found. However, their symptoms are not very visible. Someone could be suffering from gallstones and be completely unaware. Gallstones are essentially hard, stone-like deposits present in the gallbladder, which is a...

Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that is done to examine various abdominal organs or female pelvic organs. The procedure is sometimes called as "diagnostic laparoscopy" or "keyhole surgery". This procedure can identify problems such as adhesion, fibroids, infections, and cysts.The procedure...

What is an Appendectomy?The appendix is a pouch-like organ situated in the lower right abdomen in the first part of the large intestine. The importance or function that is carried out by this structure is not very clear, hence it is referred to as a "vestigial structure". When the appendix causes...

An umbilical hernia operation is a surgical procedure that repairs an umbilical hernia issue. A hernia is a protrusion that usually appears in the abdomen. The bulging effect is due to the intestines or bowels trying to push their way out of the abdominal walls via the weak spots. Although commonly...

Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that is used to examine the organs that are located in the abdomen. It involves little work and it comes with minimal risks. It can also be referred to as diagnostic laparoscopy. Only a few small incisions are made.A special instrument, known as laparoscope, is...