Treatment of gallstones:
The best treatment of gallstones is surgery and removal of the gallbladder. medications that break down or dissolve gallstones are not very effective.
Why it’s good but not necessary to have a gallbladder in the body?
Bile fluid is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. in people whose gallbladder has been surgically removed, the body uses bile ducts to retain bile, and these people rarely have problems.
Can the stone making gallbladder be restored to its normal state?
No! a gallbladder that has developed stone-producing problems can’t be restored to a non-stone-producing state with time or medication.
How are gallstones diagnosed?
Ultrasound is necessary to diagnose gallstones. It can also evaluate the impact of gallstones on the gallbladder and liver.
MRI is used to diagnose the gallstones inside the bile ducts.
Gallstones treatment or gallbladder removal surgery or “cholecystectomy”:
The main reasons for gallbladder removal surgery are Symptomatic gallstones, gallbladder polyps, and malignant tumor (cancer) of the gallbladder if operable. Removing the gallbladder is the cure for gallstones. Removing only the gallstones leads to the regeneration of gallstones by the gallbladder. It was also said that a gallbladder that has a stone-producing problem can’t be restored to normal by time or using medications.
Previously, doctors removed the gallbladder with a large incision on the abdomen, a procedure called “open surgery”. Nowadays, with the advancement of surgical methods, cholecystectomy is performed with the help of a device called “laparoscope” and some small incisions on the abdomen, which is called “laparoscopic surgery”.
The best way to remove a gallbladder is laparoscopic surgery.
The patient may temporarily have diarrhea after the operation and improves over time.
Advantages of laparoscopic gallbladder surgery:
- smaller incision: several small incisions (usually 4), each less than 2 centimeters long, instead of 12.5-17.5 centimeters incision for open surgery.
- less pain after surgery
- less bleeding
- less infection
- Quicker recovery: hospitalization after the laparoscopic surgery is very short and the patient can start regular activities faster.
Complications after a cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal surgery):
- Bile duct injury
- small bowel injury
- abdominal wall hernia
The likelihood of these complications is very low, especially in laparoscopic surgery.
