prevention
The main method to prevent gallstones is to maintain a balanced diet. This is a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats like fish, avocado, or olive oil. Limiting your intake of fatty foods and processed sugars is the best method to prevent gallstones.
diagnosis
Gallstones are usually diagnosed by ultrasound, but other procedures, such as x-rays, may also be used. Often gallstones that do not cause symptoms are detected accidently during the investigation of another problem.
treatment
Several gallstone therapies are available to people who experience symptoms. The most common method to remove gallstones is by ingesting a medication called ursodeoxycholic acid used to help dissolve the gallstones without surgery. This method is best for individuals with very small gallstones and have mild symptoms.
If the gallstones are causing significant pain and damage, there are two surgical methods to remove the gallbladder and its gallstones under general anesthesia:
- Open cholecystectomy is the classic surgical treatment for gallstones which requires an abdominal incision. The patient remains in the hospital for five to seven days to recover.
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy where the gallbladder is removed through small abdominal incisions using a lighted tube (called a laparoscope). Because there is no cutting through the muscle of the abdominal wall, the recuperation period is much shorter.
