Signs of the appearance of stones in the gallbladder in women and men. Stones in the gallbladder - causes, symptoms, what to do From what can be gallstones

Gallstone disease is a fairly common disease associated with a change in the composition of bile, which causes the appearance of stones in the gallbladder.

Gallstone disease usually affects adults, mostly older people. Every tenth patient suffers from the presence of pathology. Cases of the disease in children are extremely rare, it takes time for the formation of a foreign body in the body.

Medications to help avoid an attack:

• In order to reduce pain with stones, specialists prescribe antispasmodics: atropine, no-shpa.
• Nausea and intoxication will be removed by antibiotics.

The patient must clearly understand that it is possible to completely get rid of stones only by surgery. With an increase in size, the effectiveness of conservative treatment begins to tend to zero.

How is stone removal surgery performed?

The operation is performed using endoscopic instruments. In some cases, there are serious complications, for example, bladder empyema, peritonitis. Fistulas sometimes form between the bile duct and intestines.

During the operation, along with the stones, the gallbladder is often removed. There are several methods of surgical intervention:

• the classic way, the bubble is removed;
• laparoscopic cholecystolithotomy, the organ remains, only stones are removed.

Is it possible to treat the disease without surgery

Treatment without surgery for cholelithiasis is possible, at the first stage, is reduced to the use of drugs containing bile acids.

It is prescribed to treat gallstone disease with drugs that can dissolve bile salts. The method is prescribed in case of refusal of the patient from the operation.

Local dissolution of stones - litholysis

The procedure consists in introducing a special solvent into the bile ducts or bladder, which finally removes cholesterol stones.

Extracorporeal lithotripsy

A technique based on the crushing of stones in the body. The procedure is prescribed in case of biliary tract patency. The size of the stones does not exceed three centimeters.

How to avoid recurrence in stone formation

In order to avoid relapses for several months, you will need to follow the instructions of the doctor, avoid the use of drugs prohibited by the doctor. During treatment, you will have to reduce body weight due to the rejection of foods containing excess cholesterol. In such a state, it is extremely important to avoid starvation diets and cleansing the body.

You can protect yourself from the appearance of stones in the gallbladder with the help of coffee. A person who consumes more than four cups of the drink a day has a lower risk of getting gallstones.

Caffeine has a good effect on the functioning of the gallbladder, stimulating contraction. But coffee will help only in the absence of stones. In the presence of formations, it is better to switch to herbal tea.

A certain “risk group” has been described, including patients who are more prone to stone formation than others: overweight people, women who have given birth, age-related patients.

A similar pathology can appear in young people leading a sedentary lifestyle. The modern food system, consisting of foods stuffed with cholesterol, exacerbates the statistics. As a result of improper metabolism, an excess of the substance remains in the body, forming cholesterol stones.

The causes of the disease are different. All of them, regardless of origin, adversely affect the condition of the gallbladder and other organs. The disease does not spare people. Patients should know that it is easier to prevent a disease than to get rid of it, it is shown to take care of their health.

Gallbladder 05/11/2013

Dear readers, today we will talk about whether it is possible to treat gallstones without surgery and get rid of them. Probably, when people are faced with this problem, the first question that arises is precisely this: “How to avoid surgery to remove the gallbladder, can something be done”? I give the floor to the doctor Evgeny Snegir, who leads this section.

When a diagnosis of gallstone disease is made and the surgeon insists on laparoscopic cholecystectomy , then always and in all patients the same question is born in the head: is it possible treatment of gallstones without surgery? Let's try to give a reasoned answer to this question.

At the beginning of the conversation, we will pay attention to theoretical concepts.

So, briefly. The gallbladder is a reservoir for collecting bile produced in the liver. Bile is necessary for digestion, it helps to emulsify food fats in order to make the process of their absorption convenient. With violations in the chemical composition of bile, there is an increase in its lithogenicity- the ability to stone formation. Bile salts begin to precipitate and gallstones form.

Types of stones in the gallbladder.

According to their chemical composition, due to the predominance of one or another component, stones can be cholesterol, bilirubin, calcareous and mixed. For a simple person without a medical education, this information, without special details, is quite sufficient in order to understand mechanism of formation of stones in the gallbladder .

A radical way to help a person once and for all is to remove the altered gallbladder with stones, i.e. execute cholecystectomy , which we have already discussed in detail in the article. If the operation is not performed and the gallbladder is left in place, then in this case the stones themselves will have to be removed from the gallbladder in some way. This is also quite understandable. In this case, the stones must either be completely dissolved or crushed into small particles so that they can get from the gallbladder through the bile ducts into the duodenum and then naturally leave the body with feces. Such is the situation.

Dissolution of gallstones.

Let's go with the first method. treatment of gallstone disease without surgery - dissolution of stones . To begin with, we immediately note that with the help of drugs it will be possible to dissolve only cholesterol stones. If calcium ions are included in their composition, and there are a majority of such options, then it will no longer be possible to dissolve the stones.

How to determine the composition of stones in the gallbladder?

The following methods will help us in this matter.

1. The simplest is X-ray oral cholecystography ). Drink a radiopaque drug, take an x-ray. Cholesterol stones are X-ray negative - we will not see them in the picture. But at all stones, regardless of their composition, are clearly visible. Those. if the doctor sees the stones during an ultrasound scan, but there are no stones on the x-ray, then we can safely conclude that the stones in the gallbladder are cholesterol.
2. A more unpleasant method for the patient is duodenal sounding (probing the duodenum in order to obtain different types of bile). The patient swallows a special probe with an olive. The end of the probe will be located in the duodenum, the bile collected by us will depart through the probe. The method allows you to accurately determine the chemical composition of bile from the bladder and draw a conclusion about the nature of the formed stones.

So, if we understand that our stones are exclusively cholesterol, their size is not very large, the duration of the disease is short, then theoretically we can try to dissolve them - drink medications for this. Ursodeoxycholic acid is the most effective Ursosan) and chenodeoxycholic acid (drug Henofalk ).

But there is one very important circumstance here. Even if these drugs help and succeed in dissolving the stones, no one can guarantee that these stones will not form again. And once again it will be necessary to drink medicines, to try to dissolve the newly formed stones. Given the rather high cost of drugs and the lack of a guaranteed recovery result, it is highly doubtful to recommend this method as the main one in the treatment of cholelithiasis.

A variation of this method is percutaneous transhepatic cholelitholysis when a stone-dissolving drug is injected directly into the bladder itself through a catheter inserted through the skin and liver tissue. The method allows you to dissolve not only cholesterol stones, but also all other types of stones. But then again, no one will guarantee that the stones do not form again. And what, now you constantly have to “clean the bubble”? I will note, my dear readers, that the gallbladder is not the interior of a car, “mine, I don’t want it,” - everything is more complicated in the body.

Well, dissolving stones is not a rewarding undertaking, then maybe try to crush them? Crush the same kidney stones and it helps? Of course, we will consider this method as well.

Crushing stones in the gallbladder.

Designed to crush stones in the gallbladder extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy . The essence of the method is to generate shock waves in the lumen of the gallbladder and focus them on the stones, due to which fragmentation is achieved - the separation of stones into small fragments, 4-8 mm in size.

If, after crushing stones in the kidneys, small fragments can leave the body on their own through the urinary tract, then in the case of the biliary tract, everything is much more complicated. The diameter of the bile ducts is narrow, at the place where the common bile duct flows into the duodenum there is a special valve, which can be a serious obstacle to the passage of stones. Therefore, after crushing stones in the gallbladder, their small fragments still have to be dissolved.

In addition, the method has its own contraindications - it is not used for severe blood clotting disorders, acute inflammation of the gallbladder (acute cholecystitis), and heart rhythm disturbances. It will not help with calcified and bilirubin stones if there are a lot of stones and their size is more than 3 cm.

Moreover, this method is dangerous for the development of complications. No one can guarantee that there will be no perforation (rupture) of the altered wall of the gallbladder with fragments of stones, blockage of small fragments of the lumen of the bile ducts with the development of obstructive jaundice. Again, where is the guarantee that the stones will not form again? And once again it will be necessary to go “split up”, expect possible complications and horrors.

Thus, we understand again: of course, you can take a risk, but no one will give any guarantees.

From here we come to a logical conclusion. The most reliable way is operational - just remove the altered gallbladder with stones, go through the rehabilitation period and forget about this problem. That is why, when stones are found in the gallbladder, surgeons advise removing the gallbladder in a gentle way for the body - to perform a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

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Such an ailment as gallstone disease is quite common these days. What are the reasons for its appearance? How does it manifest itself in women and men? How to diagnose the disease and how to treat? The answers to all these questions will be detailed in the article below.

Stones in the gallbladder, which are also scientifically called calculi, may indicate the presence of serious diseases such as cholecystolithiasis or gallstone disease. If you suspect such, a visit to the surgeon's office is simply inevitable.

And if earlier such ailments were found mainly in people of middle age, and even more often in the elderly, then in recent years the age bar has seriously decreased: more and more patients with a similar diagnosis are under 30 years old.

So, such stones have a number of differences:

1. Quantitative (it can be one or many stones);
2. Chemical composition (cholesterol, pigment brown, black, mixed and complex);
3. Sizes (from small to large);
4. The location of the stone (from the bladder, it can enter the ducts).

There are a number of specific reasons for the formation of stones:

1. Accumulation of water-insoluble bilirubin, that is, when bile is supersaturated with cholesterol, calcium, or bile pigment;
2. Inflammatory processes occurring in the bladder can also cause the formation of stones;
3. With stagnant processes, that is, when the contractile functions of the bladder cease to operate.

But, as you know, the reasons do not arise on their own, because everything has prerequisites:

1. Most often, gallstone disease is observed in women, however, in recent years, doctors are increasingly diagnosing it in men;
2. Often women suffer from such an ailment due to frequent childbirth;
3. The formation of stones can lead to frequent use of the female hormone estrogen (it is often prescribed for IVF);
4. Another strong premise is being overweight and obese;
5. Living in a harsh northern climate;
6. When taking a number of drugs;
7. With prolonged use of high-calorie foods;
8. With a lack of fiber in the body;
9. With a sharp decrease in weight;
10. A number of chronic diseases can also lead to gallstones, such as diabetes or cirrhosis of the liver;
11. After surgery on the abdominal cavity;
12. Heredity.

Obviously, such an ailment is caused not only by factors independent of the person (his gender or hereditary predisposition), but also by an unhealthy lifestyle and high-calorie diet.

What are the symptoms of gallstones in women and men

Here it is immediately worth noting that often patients are not at all aware of the presence of stones in the gallbladder. Everything is revealed quite by chance, for example, during a routine examination and diagnostics by X-ray or ultrasound.

In other words, the disease is asymptomatic. For others, on the contrary, even the smallest pebble can cause discomfort.

At the first stages of the disease, absolutely all patients, both men and women, experience the same unpleasant symptoms:

1. There may be pain in the liver, it occurs in attacks from moderate to acute. It can also be felt in the epigastric region, and often the pain is felt in the right collarbone, in the right arm, or in the back;
2. Colic occurs in the liver itself;
3. There is heaviness in the right side;
4. There is frequent bloating;
5. The patient may experience frequent belching of air, and a bitter taste is felt in the mouth;
6. Heartburn, nausea and vomiting are another striking symptom of the disease;
7. The skin tone may change: some patients observe excessive pallor, others redness, and still others complain of an unnaturally dark skin color;
8. Eating is accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the gastrointestinal tract (there is a strong load on the digestive organs, and therefore the absorption of food takes place with complications);
9. The stool of a sick person also changes - it can be either diarrhea with abundant foam, and too frequent constipation.

When the disease is at the first stages of development, all unpleasant and painful sensations last no more than 15 minutes, pass as quickly as they arise.

But if the disease develops in the human body for a sufficient time, then the pain can last for a long time, and if it does not go away within 30 minutes, an ambulance should be urgently called.

But in the future, the disease begins to be accompanied by individual symptoms that have gender characteristics:

Symptoms of the release of stones from the gallbladder during an attack

Symptoms of the exit of stones begin to manifest themselves at the moment when the inflammatory process begins in the gallbladder.

Usually at such a moment the patient experiences biliary colic. In addition, there are a number of other symptoms that occur when stones move along the paths.

All of them differ in the size of the stones and their number, as well as where exactly they are located, and at what stage of development the inflammation itself is. Stress and malnutrition can also affect here.

So, the first signs of the release of stones are severe pain on the right side of the abdomen, where the liver is located. Along with this, there are signs of nausea and, as a result, vomiting.

In addition, patients note the following:

1. Dryness appears in the mouth;
2. There is a skin itch;
3. The skin becomes yellowish;
4. The whites of the eyes (sclera) also turn yellow;
5. Urine becomes dark, and feces, on the contrary, light.

When the stones start to come out, the patient experiences acute pain for a long time, which makes it difficult to perform even the most elementary actions. Pain rarely goes away on its own, so a person has to take drugs like analgesics to stop it.

In addition to all this, the patient's temperature rises and appetite drops sharply. Any movement gives pain, because of which the usual daily routine is violated.

Stages of development of gallstone disease

Modern medicine divides the development of gallstone disease into three stages, each of which has its own characteristics:

How big are gallbladder stones?

The stones in the gallbladder are called that because they really resemble ordinary stones in composition, hardness, shape and size. On average, the size of one stone varies from 1 cm to 2 cm.

A stone less than 1 cm is considered small, respectively, one whose size exceeds 2 cm is classified as large. But there are also very small pebbles that resemble particles of sand.

The sensations of the passage of stones along the biliary tract are directly related to their size, and if they do not exceed 3 mm, then the whole process is quite painless.

Large ones clog the ducts, and the accumulated bile begins to destroy the mucous membrane inside the bladder, respectively, the patient experiences acute pain under the rib.

How to find out about the presence of stones in the gallbladder?

In order to diagnose a patient with cholelithiasis, the doctor carefully listens to the patient's complaints, takes into account all the symptoms and sensations. But since no preliminary conclusions can be drawn without diagnostics, the following procedures are carried out:

• the patient is taking blood for a general analysis, which will reveal the stage of the disease and the existing inflammatory processes;
• blood is also sent for biochemical analysis, which will reveal the activity of substances involved in metabolic processes;
• cholecystography is performed, showing a possible increase in the organ;
• the patient is necessarily sent for an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, where the presence of stones, their size, their movement along the ducts, as well as the presence of pathologies is determined.

After carrying out all the tests, the doctor proceeds to the appointment of treatment.

Treatment of gallstones

Gallstone disease can be treated in several ways - this is surgery, medication and folk remedies:

Surgery is the most effective way to get rid of stones. There are two methods here:

Medication treatment - this method involves taking drugs that contain bile acid, for example, Henofalk, Henosan, Henohol, as well as Ursosan, Ursofalk and Ursohol. These drugs dissolve stones right in the bladder by restoring the balance between bile acids and cholesterol.

Another effective drug is Ziflan, which contains immortelle extract as the main component. This extract helps the liver to produce bile with a normal composition (eliminates precipitation).

Alternative methods of treatment can also be used in the fight against gallstones:

How do gallstones come out of the gallbladder during treatment

During the operation, taking medications or treatment with folk methods, the stones are split, after which they leave the body on their own and painlessly, if the contractile function of the organ is preserved.

Diet for gallstone disease

With this ailment, each patient is obliged to observe the correct diet, which involves the following rules:

Doctors recommend eating fractionally, that is, dividing the meal into 5 approaches. Breaks between meals should be equal to 3-4 hours, during which you can drink natural yogurt or kefir, compote or tea. This method will eliminate the stagnation of bile in the bladder and its thickening.

As you can see, such a diet cannot be called strict, because its conditions are very simple - it is to stop eating what is undesirable for everyone in general, and not just people with health problems.

Disease prevention measures

In order to prevent gallstone disease, again, you should carefully monitor your health and proper nutrition. There are several prerequisites for the prevention of this disease:

• give up bad habits (smoking, alcohol, etc.);
• take moderate physical activity as a basis;
• radically revise your diet and try your best to adjust your weight.

As a preventive measure, you can also periodically drink various infusions, for example, from peppermint, lemon balm, chamomile.

And do not forget about regular visits to a medical institution: timely diagnosis and testing will help to identify the disease in the early stages and cure it without any problems.

For more information on the symptoms of cholecystitis, see the following video.

Gallstone disease is a disease that is diagnosed in almost every fifth patient. With age, the likelihood of its development increases by several percent. Mostly, women suffer from this pathology. Various factors can provoke the formation of stones in the gallbladder, but the most important are elevated levels of cholesterol (the main component of bile), impaired outflow of bile, its stagnation and infection of the organ with various infections. The size of the stones for choosing surgery as an appropriate method of treating the gallbladder should be significant, small formations are trying to be removed conservatively.

If the patient has stagnation of bile for a long time, then natural fatty alcohol precipitates. This situation can provoke the formation of "sand", which gradually increases in volume, combines and forms stones.

A stone in size can reach several centimeters and even occupy the entire cavity of the gallbladder. In this case, the patient will begin to notice the first signs of gallstone disease.

The formation of stones in the gallbladder is influenced by many factors, but to a greater extent - violations in the structure of the bile itself, which consists of components such as:

• bilirubin;
• lactate and cholic acids;
• natural lipophilic alcohol;
• trace elements needed by the body to process food.

Bile is produced by liver cells - hepatocytes. Normally, it should be liquid. If any disturbances occur and a disease develops, especially of the liver, then its consistency becomes thicker and crystals begin to form. Crystallization in the gallbladder provokes the formation of stones, which leads to the progression of gallstone disease.

May occur as a result of the action of two provoking factors:

1. anatomical factor. In this situation, the stone appears in childhood or during puberty. Education may not manifest itself, but there are clear signs indicating the development of cholelithiasis. If left untreated, this can lead to negative consequences and a significant deterioration in well-being. Clinical complications: impaired metabolism, bile stasis, biliary dyskinesia, inflection of the bladder neck;
2. predisposing factor. The occurrence of stones in this situation is influenced by the lifestyle and nutrition of the patient. Improper nutrition leads to gallstone disease, obesity, impaired metabolism, and increased blood cholesterol levels. There may be formations in the gallbladder, the size of which will increase as a result of diseases of the endocrine system, excessive drinking of alcohol, taking hormonal drugs, antibiotics, during the period of bearing a child.

These factors provoke stagnation of bile, as a result, it crystallizes, and then the formation of stones.

What are there?

The classification of formations depends on their size:

1. a small stone (no more than 11 mm) - does not cause discomfort to the patient, since it can easily leave the duct, enter the intestine and leave the body;
2. a medium-sized stone (not more than 19 mm and not less than 11 mm) - can lead to negative consequences, even worsening of well-being. The patient has symptoms of cholelithiasis - the stone blocks the duct, and the outflow of bile is difficult;
3. a large stone (more than 19 mm) - may not cause discomfort and not move around the gallbladder, but if it moves, a complete blockage of the duct occurs, which requires a mandatory operation.

Symptoms of cholelithiasis

The first symptoms that you need to pay attention to are heaviness in the right side, bitterness in the mouth, nausea after each meal. If these signs occur, you should immediately contact a specialist and undergo an ultrasound examination of the peritoneum, which will show not only the location of the stone, but also its size.

With a stone size of more than 11 mm, the patient experiences biliary colic - pain localized in the region of the right side or epigastrium, which are caused by contraction of the walls of the organ trying to push out the unnecessary formation. The pain can gradually increase, last for several hours, then disappear and reappear, which is caused by the movement of the stone through the gallbladder.

The presence of a stone in the body can provoke such deviations and diseases:

1. acute cholecystitis;
2. mechanical jaundice;
3. bubble perforation;
4. peritonitis.

For many diseases, the patient is prescribed surgery.

What are the removal operations?

In modern medicine, there are several ways to remove formations in the gallbladder of different sizes. The most common and effective among them are the following:

1. crushing crystals with ultrasound - helps to grind stones under the influence of high pressure and vibration into small pieces up to 3 mm, after which they can leave the bladder without much difficulty and complications. The procedure is prescribed for patients who have up to 4 stones or up to 3 large formations. Crushing by ultrasound has contraindications and disadvantages that must be taken into account before the appointment:
   • impaired blood clotting;
   • inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of a chronic type;
   • the period of bearing a child;
   • the procedure can cause blockage of the ducts due to vibration;
   • crushed stones can damage the walls of the organ;
2. crushing crystals with a laser - a puncture is made in the anterior wall of the abdominal cavity, through which a laser beam passes and splits the formations. The procedure lasts no more than half an hour, has contraindications: overweight, the patient's age category is over 62 years, the patient's critical condition. The disadvantages of the procedure include a burn of the mucous surface of the bladder, obstruction of the ducts;
3. contact-type chemical cholelitholite - allows you to dissolve a variety of stones, regardless of their size and quantity. It is prescribed at any stage of pathology. This type of operation is also recommended in the presence of obvious symptoms. The only drawback of this method is invasiveness;
4. laparoscopy - performed under general anesthesia. The formations are removed using a special conductor made of metal, inserted into incisions in the abdominal cavity. The duration of the operation is no more than 60 minutes, after which the patient must be under the supervision of specialists for another 7 days. This removal method is prescribed for calculous cholecystitis. Laparoscopy also has contraindications:
   • excess weight;
   • the size of the stone is more than 10–15 mm;
   • adhesions after operations;
   • abscess in this organ;
   • pathology of the cardiovascular system and respiratory tract;
5. open-type abdominal surgery (laparotomy) - is prescribed for large stones, exacerbation of the consequences of cholelithiasis, inflammatory processes of internal organs. This operation involves the removal of an organ. Has the following disadvantages:
   • increased invasiveness;
   • increased risk of internal bleeding or infection;
   • fatal outcome.

After surgery, the patient may have unpleasant symptoms for a long time.

When is removal contraindicated?

Removal of an organ can provoke various biochemical changes that can disrupt the outflow of bile. There may be other negative consequences, such as:

1. deviations in motility of the muscle fibers of the duodenum;
2. inflammatory process of the duodenum;
3. gastritis;
4. inflammation in the small intestine;
5. colitis;
6. violation of secondary absorption;
7. violation of the digestive process.

In such a situation, the patient must take prescribed drugs, follow the recommendations of a specialist and follow a diet.

According to statistics, gallstones are formed in every fifth inhabitant of the planet. In women, gallstone disease occurs almost twice as often as in men. This is due to the female hormones estrogens, which slow down the excretion of bile. And what to do if these stones are found? Is there an alternative to removing the gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a small sac attached to the liver. It accumulates bile - a complex composition necessary for the processing of fats that enter our body with food. In addition, bile is responsible for maintaining normal microflora in the intestines. If the bile is stagnant or its composition has changed, the gallbladder malfunctions and stones form in its ducts.

A sedentary lifestyle can provoke the onset of the disease, in which, as a rule, metabolic processes in the body slow down. But the main risk group is those who eat irregularly, as well as lovers of fatty foods with high cholesterol.

In these people, each feast is accompanied by a change in the composition of bile, and the likelihood of stone formation in such cases increases many times over. Depending on the components, gallstones can be cholesterol, pigmented - if they are formed from the coloring matter of bile - bilirubin, and calcareous, if they are dominated by calcium salts. Most often there are mixed stones ranging in size from 0.1 mm to 3-5 cm.

“As long as the stones in the gallbladder are small and lie quietly in the gallbladder, a person may not even be aware of his illness. - says the head of the abdominal department of the Institute of Surgery. A. Vishnevsky RAMS Vyacheslav Egorov. The first warning signs by which cholelithiasis can be suspected are heaviness in the right hypochondrium, bitterness in the mouth and nausea after eating.

The situation changes when the stone comes out at the mouth of the bile duct and clogs it. The outflow of bile is disturbed, the walls of the gallbladder are stretched, and the person feels severe pain in the right hypochondrium or in the upper abdomen. The pain may radiate to the back, right collarbone and right arm. There is nausea or vomiting. Doctors call this attack biliary colic.

The pains may not be too strong and often stop on their own, but their appearance indicates that a “rockfall” has begun in the body and a person needs to see a doctor. After all, stones, having set off on their own swimming, can completely block the outflow of bile and cause inflammation of the gallbladder - cholecystitis, inflammation of the pancreas - pancreatitis or obstructive jaundice.

Establishing a diagnosis of cholelithiasis "by eye" is difficult even for an experienced doctor. This will require additional studies - ultrasound of the abdominal organs, in the most difficult cases - x-ray studies with the introduction of a contrast agent into the bile ducts. Currently, there is a study that allows the doctor to see the stones firsthand - choledochoscopy.

These diagnostic procedures allow the doctor to assess the size of the stones, their location, which makes it possible to predict the further development of the disease and prescribe treatment.”

Doctors are relentless: only a surgeon can get rid of gallstones! However, if there are no symptoms of the disease and the stones in the gallbladder are "silent", they can be left alone.

The most important medical order for patients with gallstone disease is the observance of a proper diet and a strict diet. Under a strict ban is spicy, fatty, fried and smoked food.

Sometimes they try to dissolve small cholesterol stones with the help of medicines - chenodeoxycholic acid and ursofalk. The treatment is long - the course lasts at least a year, it is expensive, and, unfortunately, does not always lead to the desired results. After a few years, in most patients, stones form again. In addition, such treatment is fraught with complications - these drugs often damage liver cells.

Small single stones can be tried to destroy with a shock wave. During this procedure, the stones are crushed into small pieces (up to 1-2 mm in size), which independently leave the body. This procedure is painless, well tolerated by patients and can be performed on an outpatient basis.

Contraindications for gallstone disease

With cholelithiasis, choleretic herbal remedies are categorically contraindicated. They can contribute to the migration of stones, and this is fraught with the most formidable complications. For the same reason, the use of mineral waters should be treated with great caution.

If the stones are large, attacks of biliary colic are frequent, then the patient has to lie down on the surgeon's table.

Often, patients with cholelithiasis undergo surgery for emergency reasons, when the removal of the gallbladder - cholecystectomy - is vital. This happens in acute cholecystitis, which can be complicated by peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum), as well as in cases of pancreatitis and complete blockage of the biliary tract.

How to treat gallstone disease?

The gold standard for cholelithiasis is laparoscopic surgery, in which the gallbladder is removed through small punctures in the anterior abdominal wall. After the operation, there are practically no traces on the skin. The patient is usually discharged the next day after the operation and he quickly returns to the usual rhythm of life.

Many are concerned about the question - is it possible to live a full life without a gallbladder?

Doctors say that the quality of life does not suffer from cholecystectomy. The purpose of the gallbladder is to store bile until food is consumed. It was vital only to primitive people who sat down at the table only after a successful hunt (and this did not happen every day) and could, for joy, eat a good half of the extracted mammoth.

Modern man does not need to eat "in reserve". Therefore, the absence of the gallbladder does not affect his life in any way.