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This can be carried out either through several small incisions or through a single larger incision, usually under general anesthesia. [2] In rare cases when surgery is not possible, medication can be used to dissolve the stones or lithotripsy can be used to break them down. [7] In developed countries, 10–15% of adults experience gallstones. [4]
In two cases, chemical analysis of supposed gallstones that were excreted in the course of a gallbladder flush showed that these were not real gallstones, but "soap stones", which are structures formed in the gut due to a reaction of the digestive juices with the ingested treatment. [3] [4]
The gallbladder can be affected by gallstones, formed by material that cannot be dissolved – usually cholesterol or bilirubin, a product of hemoglobin breakdown. These may cause significant pain, particularly in the upper-right corner of the abdomen, and are often treated with removal of the gallbladder (called a cholecystectomy).
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population, about 25 million people, are affected by gallstones. Your Guide to Gallstones
Cholelithiasis (gallstones) Can predispose to cholecystitis (gall bladder infections) and ascending cholangitis (biliary tree infection) Can progress to choledocholithiasis (gallstones in the bile duct) and gallstone pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) Gastric calculi can cause colic, obstruction, torsion, and necrosis.
Gallstones can cause obstructive jaundice (if a small stone goes down and blocks the bile duct), porcelain gallbladder and gallstone ileus. The usual treatment for gallstones is surgical removal of the gallbladder - cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a routine operation nowadays.