Gall Stone Removal

Gallstones, typically composed of cholesterol or excess bile from the liver, are the primary cause of most types of gallbladder disease. Gallstones are thought of as a silent attacker, as patients suffering from them usually are not aware of their existence. Patients do not become symptomatic unless the stones become lodged in a bile duct, blocking the flow of bile from the liver through the gallbladder and into the small intestine. A few different treatments can be used to remove the gallstones and alleviate the discomfort.

Lifestyle Changes

• Most gallstones are small enough to eventually pass through the digestive tract without incident. Over-the-counter analgesics are recommended for pain relief as needed. Lifestyle changes are then recommended to prevent further gallstone development. Patients are advised to drink plenty of healthy fluids; eat a high-fiber, low-fat diet; and increase physical activity. Include a wide variety of vegetables and fruits as well as healthy unsaturated fats from nuts and fish in your diet. Also, consume the recommended dosage of calcium and antioxidant vitamins such as A, C and E.

  Discuss the benefits of adding nutritional supplements with a health care professional to your wellness routine. Since obesity increases the risk of gallstone development, achieve and maintain a healthy weight by reducing calorie consumption and exercising regularly. Once any of the following removal techniques are used, patients must still implement lifestyle changes to avoid new gallstones from developing.

Gallstone Extraction

• Extraction surgery, also referred to as cholelithotomy, may be recommended as an alternative if a stone has become lodged in one of the hepatic or common bile ducts and the patient is too ill for complete gallbladder removal. In a less invasive procedure, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatoscopy (ERCP), gallstones are removed by inserting an endoscope through the mouth and throat, down the esophagus, and into the stomach, duodenum, and biliary system without the need for a surgical incision.

Oral Dissolution Therapy

• Oral medications, such as ursodeoxycholic acid, may also be used to dissolve gallstones for patients who cannot tolerate the surgical procedures. This type of treatment, however, may take several months or years to dissolve gallstones. A new treatment is undergoing testing in which the medications are injected directly into the gallbladder to dissolve the gallstones more efficiently.

Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Lithotripsy

• Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is another non-surgical gallbladder removal treatment. It is particularly effective for stones that are lodged in the bile ducts. Shock waves are focused on the gallstone itself to shatter it into smaller pieces. These smaller stone pieces can then drain independently or may then be removed through endoscopic surgery (ERCP).

Gallbladder Removal

• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the entire gallbladder) may be recommended as the easiest way to remove the stones and to prevent further recurrence of the condition. Once removed, bile flows from the liver directly into the small intestine, bypassing its designated storage place in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a non-vital organ and this process does not affect the digestion of food, but diarrhea is a side effect for some patients.