Gallstones / Gallbladder Stones

Gallstones are solid pieces of stone-like debris formed from bile, usually in the gallbladder and then pass off into the bile duct. But they can uncommonly form in the bile duct. Stones are not passed from the bile duct to the gall bladder.

Types Of Stones Gallstones / Gallbladder Stones

The commonest type consist of cholesterol. They are pale in color. Others are made of calcium bilirubinate, are dark in color and are called pigment stones. Some patients have mixed stones.

The Ideal Treatment For Gallstones / Gallbladder Stones

The ideal treatment for gallstones with symptoms &/or complications is removal of the gall bladder with the stones inside (cholecystectomy). There is no adverse effect on digestion due to removal of gall bladder.

This is usually done in one of two ways. If the stones are all contained in the gall bladder, then the simplest method is to have a small operation to remove the gall bladder and the stones within it. These operations can nowadays be done with keyhole surgery also called laparoscopy which means that patients recover from the operation within just a day or two, a huge improvement from the much larger operations that used to be necessary for gallstones in the past. However conventional open surgery may still be required occasionally.

The other way of dealing with gallstones, by endoscopy, is used for stones that have found their way into the common bile duct and caused a blockage there. Such stones can often be treated with ERCP followed by cholecystectomy in next 2-3 days.

If they are not causing any symptoms however, then it may not be necessary to have any treatment at all. Even if you have a single attack of pain from gallstones, there may be no further trouble for many years, if ever.

Can Gall Stones Cause Cancer?

Yes. Gall stones have shown a strong association with gall bladder cancer especially in Indian subcontinental patients. Persistent inflammation of gall bladder wall by stones causes changes in the lining of gall bladder bringing about the malignant change over a long time.