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A 24-year-old member asked:

What are gallstones?

4 doctor answers9 doctors weighed in
Dr. Mark Hoepfner
Surgery 41 years experience
Gallstones: Gallstones are made of various crystal that grow into stones in the gallbladder. They can be from bile (bilirubin) or cholesterol origin. They grow in the gallbladder, may be present without any symptoms, or may cause upper abdominal pressure, bloating, discomfort, nausea, or vomiting. Often eating fatty foods may aggravate the discomfort from gallstones.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Rafael Lugo
General Surgery 30 years experience
Stones: Stones inside the gallbladder made usually from cholesterol or calcium.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Barry Rosen
General Surgery 36 years experience
R U In Pain?: The presence of gallstones in and of itself does not require treatment--as many as 75% of people with 'silent' stones will never develop symptoms. However, if you are having pain due to the gallstones, the best option is to have your gallbladder removed. Laparoscopic removal is usually an out-patient operation with low complication rates and a quick return to normal activities. Good luck!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Mark Hoepfner
Surgery 41 years experience
Depends: Leave them alone & observe if you are having no abdominal symptoms of discomfort, nausea or vomiting. Laparoscopic surgery is a common means to remove gallbladder and gallstones if they are causing an illness or problem. Medication may dissolve non-calcified gallstones but may take years.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

A 37-year-old member asked:

What are gallstones and what are the symptoms?

1 doctor answer2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Robert Uyeda
General Surgery 47 years experience
Gallstones are: Precipitants that form when the bile is supersaturated. It can form from any combination of cholesterol, bilirubinate, lecithin, and bile salts. It can cause biliary colic or acute cholecystitis. Classic symptoms are right upper quadrant postprandial pain with radiation to tip of scapula. But they can cause other symptoms too, so check with your doctor, he'll get tests to find out for sure.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Terrell, TX
A 23-year-old female asked:

Can gallstones be hereditary?

1 doctor answer6 doctors weighed in
Dr. Benjamin Kim
General Surgery 45 years experience
Technically no: Gallstones are precipitated material- usually cholesterol, less commonly bilirubinate(black stones). But certain inherited conditions (eg sickle cell anemia) may oversaturate the bile to form stones. Some families have high rates- probable combination of inherited metabolic traits and dietary habits.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 40-year-old member asked:

Gallstones: what to eat and what not to eat?

1 doctor answer2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Paxton Daniel
Radiology 34 years experience
Some: Find avoiding fatty foods helps with gallbladder symptoms. No diet will make the stones go away. The only viable solution to significant gallbladder pain is removing the gallbladder.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 24-year-old female asked:

Can i die from gallstones?

2 doctor answers6 doctors weighed in
Dr. Barry Rosen
General Surgery 36 years experience
Highly Unlikely: Most people with gallbladder disease are troubled by transient episodes of pain, often after eating (biliary colic). If the gb is obstructed by a stone, inflammation can develop, but it rarely leads to an infection. If a stone exits the gb, it can block the: liver, potentially leading to serious liver infections (cholangitis), or the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis; very rarely, this is fatal.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Canada
A 37-year-old female asked:

How are gallstones diagnosed?

2 doctor answers5 doctors weighed in
Dr. John Fung
General Surgery 41 years experience
Usually ultrasound: Given the right medical history, gallstones are usually diagnosed by an ultrasound. On occasion, gallstones can be picked up by other means, such as ct scan or by plain x-rays of the abdomen. Usually asymptomatic gallstones are left undisturbed.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated May 11, 2018

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