The liver produces bile, a yellow liquid that the small intestine uses to digest fat and oils. Bile liquid consists of cholesterol, salts and certain pigments. The liquid bile can harden if it contains too much cholesterol and pigments. Gallstones form inside the gallbladder as a result. People with gallstones that don’t experience symptoms usually do not need treatment. The doctor may recommend a nonsurgical or surgical method to treat gallstones if symptoms appear.
Surgery
The doctor may choose a cholecystectomy, or the surgical removal of the gallbladder, to treat gallstones. The surgeon may perform a laparoscopic cholecystectomy to remove the gallbladder, according to Dr. Salam F. Zakko, professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy involves the use of a tiny video camera and other surgical instruments to remove the gallbladder. The surgeon creates small incisions in the upper abdomen and a small incision in the belly button. He inserts a tiny video camera through the incision in the belly button to visualize the gallbladder. He then cuts and removes the gallbladder through the other incisions in the upper abdomen. People can live without a gallbladder. No serious complications generally develop after removal.
Shock Waves
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, or ESWL, involves the use of an instrument that delivers shock waves into the abdomen to break gallstones into smaller fragments. The smaller pieces are easier dissolved with an oral, bile acid pill, Dr. Zakko says. Only certain people can benefit from the treatment. This includes people who have a small number of gallstones, usually less than 3 stones; people with a normal body weight for their height; and those who have a good functioning gallbladder. The procedure may cause symptoms of a gallbladder attack as the gallstone pieces pass through the bile duct, the tube that carries bile to the small intestine. Symptoms include indigestion, nausea, intolerance to fatty foods and pain in the upper-right abdomen that can range from mild to severe.
Medications
The doctor may choose medications as a treatment method for gallstones in people who can’t undergo surgery. They may have had an adverse reaction to anesthesia in the past, or they could have other medical conditions that increase the risks of developing serious complications if they were to have surgery. Bile acid pills can dissolve small gallstones, but complete dissolving of gallstones usually takes six months to two years, with maintenance treatment often required afterward, according to Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology of Pennsylvania. Gallstones can recur if the gallbladder isn’t removed. Losing weight, and consuming a diet high in fiber and calcium and low in saturated fats, may prevent gallstones from returning.
