Gallstones

Prevention

You are less likely to form gallstones if you avoid becoming overweight. If you are already overweight, try to avoid diets that cause you to lose weight very quickly, such as those providing fewer than 500 calories daily.

Certain medicines, such as birth control pills and estrogen, can increase the likelihood of gallstones. Consider avoiding these medications if you already have other risk factors for gallstones. Groups at high risk of gallstones include American Indians, Hispanics, people with sickle cell anemia, and women who have had multiple pregnancies.

Treatment

Gallstones usually require treatment only if they are causing symptoms.

Nearly 90% of patients who want treatment for their gallstones undergo a type of surgery called laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In this procedure, a surgeon uses a small light and camera placed through a small incision into your abdomen. The camera, called a laparoscope, allows the surgeon to see what he or she is doing during the operation by watching a video screen. Using small instruments that are placed through other small incisions, the surgeon is able to remove fluid and stones from the gallbladder to deflate it. The gallbladder then can be removed and pulled out through one of the same small holes. People recover very quickly from laparoscopic surgery because the surgical wounds are very small.

Some patients have their gallbladders removed through a larger incision in a type of surgery called open cholecystectomy. In this surgery, a larger diagonal incision is made above the gallbladder, and the surgeon removes the gallbladder using a direct view instead of a camera. This is a more practical surgery for people who have significant abdominal scarring from prior surgery or have a higher risk of complications during the surgery. For some people who are very obese, an open cholecystectomy is technically easier. It is also important to know that in about 5% of cases, a surgeon may start a laparoscopic procedure, but choose to change to an open cholecystectomy for technical reasons.