Gallstones – Advances in Treatment

Transcript

So, is there anything going on in the world of science that will do something to the gallbladder stones before they happen, or will do something to the gallstones while they’re already there, not requiring surgery? The real answer is no. At this point there’s really nothing we can do except again, healthy lifestyle. So for example, most of the stones are composed of cholesterol. And if a person’s, if we know that their cholesterol is high based on the blood test, then the person should take appropriate steps to change their diet and be on appropriate medications. The gallbladder stones may still not go away, or they may actually still continue to form, but it’s more important the general wellbeing of the person. So there is nothing specifically at this point in the pipeline about prevention of the gallbladder stones, besides healthy lifestyle, avoidance of fatty food, exercise, and once the gallbladder stones form and if they don’t cause symptoms, we leave them alone and observe the person. If they begin to cause symptoms, then the gallbladder should be removed.