Gastroenterologist Questions Gastroenterologist

How do you fix gallbladder stones?

I have gallbladder stones. Is it serious? How do you fix gallbladder stones?

4 Answers

Best recommendations in surgical literature: if there has been attach gallstone induced pain it is better to the gallbladder removed by lithotripsy which is a usually benign daycare procedure rather than taking the risk of developing an infection, cholecystitis, which will require more intensive surgery and a longer hospital stay and possible complications
The treatment of gallstones depends on the symptoms that they are causing.  If your gallstones were found by accident and they are not causing any symptoms, then one option is to do nothing.  If the gallstones are very small, pills can be tried.  For large gallstones, you may not need to do anything with them if they are not ever expected to leave the gallbladder.  For the majority of stones, if they are causing symptoms, surgical removal will probably be necessary.  Sometimes, a tube can be placed into the gallbladder straight through the skin, but that is usually a temporary solution.  Your options should be discussed with your primary care provider. 
Gallstones are not important unless they cause symptoms, which would be colic, pain after eating. There is no good way to get rid of stones once they are formed, other than low fat diet.
You can try diet first, mainly a low fat diet along with exercise and weight loss. However, some stones don't always clear that way and you may need to be prescribed a medicine to help relieve the stones.