Gallstones are the most common cause of gallbladder attacks. Gallstones occur when deposits of digestive fluids accumulate in the gallbladder forming pebble-like stones, according to MayoClinic.com. Gallstones cause the gallbladder to become inflamed. This inflammation leads to sudden and severe gnawing pain in the middle to right upper abdomen or back. In rare case, some patients may experience a gallbladder attack without gallstones. In either case, treatment for a gallbladder attack involves removal of a diseased gallbladder, or removal or dissolution of gallstones.
Oral Dissolution Therapy
Medications may be given to try to dissolve gallstones. Bile acids in pill form, such as ursodiol and chenodiol, are the most common bile acid drugs used, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. This form of treatment may take several weeks to months to fully dissolve stones. For this reason, oral dissolution therapy is not recommended for patients with severe gallbladder disease or large stones.
Contact Dissolution Therapy
Contact dissolution therapy is an experimental treatment used to destroy gallstones. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports that contact dissolution therapy involves injecting a drug, methyl tert-butyl ether, directly into the gallbladder to dissolve gallstones. The drug can dissolve stones in one to three days. This procedure is still being tested on patients with small stones.
Surgical Therapy
Surgical removal of the gallbladder is recommended for frequent gallbladder attacks. Removal of the gallbladder is known as cholecystectomy, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Most cholecystectomies are done laparoscopically via small incisions in the abdomen. In cases of severe gallbladder disease, infection or excess scarring from prior surgeries, doctors may need to perform an open cholecystectomy, which involves removing the gallbladder through a large incision in the abdominal cavity.
