Medical Questions » Liver and Gall Bladder Questions » Question No. 585
| Question: | My parents both had gall stones. I am worried that I might too. Who gets gall stones and how are they treated? |
| Answer: | Fair, fat, female, forty and flatulent. These are the people who, according to traditional medical textbooks, are more likely to suffer from gall stones. Of course the problem can occur in many people ourside this group, but I find it quite surprising just how many do belong to this ' 5F' group.
Problems occur when the bile in the gall bladder becomes too concentrated and precipitates out as a crystal or stone. Small stones can pass out along the ducts, but larger stones block up the bile ducts, and when the gall bladder contracts, the movement of the stone in the duct causes severe pain.
The only effective treatment is surgery to remove the gall bladder and the stones it contains. If there are no acute problems, it can be carried out routinely at the patient' s convenience. Some patients can have stones very low in the common bile duct removed by an instrument that is passed through the mouth and stomach into the intestine. Patients who are too old or ill for an operation may use an expensive drug that slowly dissolves some gall stones over many months.
A newer technique to disintegrate gall stones by ultrasound waves is being trialed in some hospitals, but this is not routinely available yet.
|
|
|
