Question: This question is for my wife. 36 year old female 5'4 115. She has been for a ultrasound and CT they found over half of her gallbladder filled with stones. They really did not give her an option and she consulted a surgeon. Surgeon agreed it needs to be removed. My question, is there a way to remove the stones without surgery, or is the gallbladder now damaged and will have to come out no matter what at some point? Will the Gallbladder ever work the same as it was before the stones if she took the medication to break up the stones.....I know there are risks with this too. Basically, is there is a way to get rid of the stones and test for underlying triggers that caused the issue in the first place without removal, and will her gall bladder ever work normally again? Are the side effects of the gallbladder removal, worth delaying this "required surgery" in your opinion, or should she move forward? I understand you are only working off the information provided.

Thank you ahead of time for your help with this, and all the help I have received in the past!!

Thank you Doctor! She is already feeling better about the surgery now that she has a Gastroenterologists opinion as well. Her surgery is scheduled for Monday.

One other concern she has is about her diet after the surgery. Will she have to adjust what she eats, or could the removal of the Gallbladder cause any conditions? She cannot eat dairy, and we were wondering if the removal could make her hyper-sensitive to dairy? She is very athletic and sticks to a regimented diet, so for her this is a concern. She is afraid food might not be broken completely down and she might come up short on certain vitamins. Is this a possible concern, or will the liver pick up any slack with the bile that would have come from the gallbladder?

Thank you again for the QUICK response, and all that you do Doctor!