Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
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Treatment of Gallstones
Changes in diet have no effect on gallstones, but it is advisable to eat a well balanced healthy diet, and to control your weight.
Gallstones composed of pure cholesterol can sometimes be dissolved with drugs, although it may take months or years to be fully effective.
Stones can also be shattered by a procedure called lithotripsy, a method of concentrating ultrasonic shock waves onto the stones to break them into tiny pieces so they can be passed safely in the faeces.
Gallstones which do not respond to other treatments, or which reoccur, can be treated by surgical removal of the gall bladder (cholecystectomy) using minimally invasive surgery (also known as ‘keyhole’ surgery due to the small incision).
Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery is now so routine and successful, and causes so little trouble to the patient, that other methods are now almost obsolete.
However, treatment with the bile acid, urosdeoxycholic acid, may be given after completing therapy in order to stop gallstones recurring (up to 25% of patients with gallstones may have recurring symptoms one year after stopping therapy).
