Gallstones are common and do not always need treatment. When they cause recurrent pain, inflammation or complications, surgical assessment can help determine whether gallbladder removal is appropriate.
Symptoms and complications
Gallstones can cause episodes of upper abdominal pain, often after meals. They can also lead to inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), jaundice from a bile duct stone, infection of the bile ducts or pancreatitis.
Treatment
The common operation for symptomatic gallstones is laparoscopic cholecystectomy — removal of the gallbladder through small incisions. Stones in the common bile duct may require additional investigation or treatment, including ERCP in appropriate cases.