There are few reliable gallstone remedies. Cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder, is the most dependable treatment since it prevents gallstone recurrence. Gallstones are hard deposits in the gallbladder, formed from cholesterol or bile, a digestive liquid secreted by the liver. They can be as tiny as a pebble or as large as an egg. Women and adults over 40 are most likely to develop gallstones. Often, people with gallstones are asymptomatic. Complications arise when a gallstone lodges in a bile duct, which moves bile from the gallbladder to the small intestines, or cystic duct, which joins the gallbladder and bile duct.
Chenodeoxycholic Acid
Chenodeoxycholic acid is a chemical produced naturally in the liver. Its purpose is to control cholesterol levels in the blood. Doctors sometimes prescribe an oral regimen of chenodeoxycholic acid pills to dissolve gallstones. In the June 2007 issue of the "Journal of Internal Medicine," Dr. Hanns-Ulrich Marschall wrote that chenodeoxycholic acid is not an option for the majority of gallbladder patients since the medication has a very high rate of gallstone recurrence. Dr. Marschall is an associate professor of medicine at Karolinska University in Stockholm, Sweden.
Contact Litholysis
Methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, is a chemical compound manufactured from methanol and isobutylene. It is normally used as an octane enhancer for gasoline. In a procedure called contact litholysis, a surgeon injects small doses of MTBE through a catheter into the gallbladder. In his book, "Clinical Hepatology: Principles and Practice of Hepatobiliary Diseases," Dr. Henryk Dancygier writes that in a European study of 800 contact litholysis patients, gallstones were successfully dissolved in 95 percent of cases.
Cholecystectomy
Since gallstones often return with other types of gallstone remedies, many doctors prefer gall bladder removal surgery to treat their patients with gallstones. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, gall bladder surgery is among the most frequently performed surgeries each year. In 1996, 19.7 surgeries were performed per 10,000 Americans. In 2006, that number rose to 31.9 per 10,000. In his book, "Advanced Therapy in Gastroenterology and Liver Disease," Dr. Theodore Bayless writes that although laparoscopic cholecystectomy has relatively low risks and a quick recovery time, doctors should reserve the procedure for their patients experiencing symptoms from their gallstones.
References
- Medline Plus: Gallstones
- "Journal of Internal Medicine"; Gallstone Disease; Hanns-Ulrich Marschall, M.D., Ph.D.; June 2007
- "Clinical Hepatology: Principles and Practice of Hepatobiliary Diseases"; Henryk Dancygier, M.D.; November 2009
- CDC: Data Brief
- "Advanced Therapy in Gastroenterology and Liver Disease;" Theodore M. Bayless, M.D.; December 2005
