According to MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, gallstones are hard, pebble-like deposits, or stones, that form within the gallbladder. These deposits can be small and asymptomatic, or they may be as large as golf balls and cause significant symptoms including, pain in the upper or middle abdomen, fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes, clay-colored stools, nausea and vomiting. Treatment is only necessary if a gallstone becomes painful or causes other complications.
Medications
MayoClinic.com states that oral medications may help dissolve gallstones and relieve pain. Specifically, chenodeoxycholic acid or ursodeoxycholic acid can be given to help dissolve gallstones. Unfortunately, these medications can take many years to be effective, and gallstones may return after medication treatment. These medications can only be used to dissolve cholesterol gallstones.
Surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment of gallstones. MayoClinic.com states that patients should immediately have surgery after they begin to experience symptoms to avoid complications. Today, most surgeons use a technique call laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This procedure involves three to four small cuts in the abdomen. The surgeon will insert a laparoscope and other surgical tools into these holes in the abdomen. The laparoscope projects the abdominal contents onto a screen and is used to visualize the gallbladder. The other tools are used to remove the gallbladder from surrounding tissue. If stones are not too large, the gallbladder can typically be extracted from the abdomen through one of the small holes in the stomach. However, if gallstones are too large, the surgeon may need to make a large incision to remove the gallbladder. The small cuts involved with this procedure make it relatively safe, and allows for a quicker post-surgical recovery. Risks of this procedure include infection, excessive bleeding, blood clots and liver or other organ damage. Thus, the risks and benefits of this procedure should be thoroughly discussed with the surgeon before consenting.
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
At times, gallstones may clog the bile ducts, which prevent bile from moving from the gallbladder to the small intestine. This blockage can be painful, and can result in yellowing of the skin, clay-colored stools and poor digestion of fat. Thus, removing stones from the bile ducts is important in treating pain and preventing complications. ERCP is a procedure in which a thin tube, or catheter, is inserted into the bile ducts. A dye is injected through the catheter, and x-rays are taken to look for stones in the ducts. If there are stones, other instruments can be inserted in the ducts to break up stones.
