Are there any other options than Gallstone surgery?

When stones are causing symptoms or problems for you it is usually best to remove the stones and gallbladder. Gallstone removal Surgery has been the standard treatment for many decades and remains so. Sometimes it is best not to undertake surgery. If stones are not causing problems then no treatment is often best. If a severe infection occurs in the gallbladder due to stones, and the risks of general surgery are high (for example elderly patient with severe other medical problems), sometimes a drain is placed in the gallbladder by xray guidance as an alternative.

If a stone passes down the bile duct and becomes lodged next to the pancreas or causes jaundice, often an ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) is performed which is done by an endoscopy passed through the mouth under anaesthetic. This does not however deal with stones that remain in the gallbladder.

Medications have been used in the past to help dissolve the stones but are not used commonly now as they tend to be effective.