How Are Gallstones Treated?

hi. thank you for posting query at HCM. i thoroughly read your query and understood your concerns. Gallstones are small stones that form inside the gallbladder. Gallstones pain (Biliary colic) usually is usually experienced when the gallbladder contracts in response to a fatty meal. This compresses the stones, blocking the opening. As the gallbladder relaxes several hours after the meal, the pain subsides. 1. Biliary colic - The pain without cholecystitis- gallbladder infection/inflammation - usually subsides within few hours to a day. Acute cholecystitis secondary to gallstones may be continuous and accompanied with fever. 2. Medical therapy is an option for gallstones , though a vast number of surgeons around the globe prefer removal of gall bladder- surgical intervention. Medical therapy includes intake of ursodeoxyholic acid ( UDCA) for a period of 12 to 24 months. UDCA has been shown to inhibit biliary secretion of cholesterol, reduce intestinal absorption of cholesterol, increase hepatic bile secretion, and improve gallbladder emptying. Medical therapy is useful if mild symptoms, stones are smaller in size ( weight reduction and low-fat diet is also a part of medical therapy. 3. Surgery lasts for less than one hour ( usually half an hour). Laparoscopic surgery has greatly reduced surgery time duration and surgical complications. You may travel 7 to 10 days after surgery, though the surgeon may indicate precise time. I would also like to mention that gall bladder is removed completely in surgical intervention which may impair fat digestion. You maybe asked to cut fat completely from your diet ( or keep to minimum) after gall bladder surgery. hope to answer your concern. wish you good and sound health. regards Dr Tayyab Malik