Gallstones affect up to 25% of women and 10% of men over the age of 40. Fortunately, not all gallstones cause problems or require treatment. When they do cause issues, there are effective ways to address them. It is estimated that 10-30% of patients with gallstones develop symptoms and eventually require surgery.

What Are Gallstones?

Gallstones form from bile, a substance produced by the liver that aids digestion. The bile is stored in the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ. The fat in food triggers the gallbladder to contract and release bile into the intestines.

Gallstones are solid lumps that develop when stored bile crystallizes. They can range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Most gallstones are made of cholesterol, while others, known as pigment stones, are made of calcium salts and bilirubin (a breakdown product of red blood cells).

Cholesterol stones form when the gallbladder does not contract and empty properly. Pigment stones are often associated with certain medical conditions, including liver disease, blood disorders, and infection of the bile ducts.

Risk Factors for Gallstones

You are more likely to develop gallstones if you:

• Are a woman, particularly if you’ve had children.

• Are overweight.

• Experience rapid weight loss.

• Follow a diet high in refined sugars and carbohydrates, and low in fiber.

Symptoms of Gallstones

Small gallstones may not cause any symptoms.
If a gallstone becomes trapped in an opening (duct) inside the gallbladder, it can trigger sudden, intense abdominal pain, known as biliary colic. This pain can last for a few hours. Recurrent episodes of biliary colic can affect your quality of life and may prompt the need for surgery.

Some people with gallstones may also develop complications, such as inflammation of the gallbladder (acute cholecystitis).
If a gallstone becomes lodged in the main duct leading from the liver to the intestines, it can cause serious complications like pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) or cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts). These conditions may cause severe pain, jaundice, high fever, and vomiting. Treatment usually requires hospitalization, often involving endoscopic removal of the stone and surgical removal of the gallbladder.

Treatment of Gallstone Disease

Treatment is generally only necessary if gallstones are causing:

• Symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, and nausea.

• Complications such as jaundice or pancreatitis.

In these cases, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) is recommended. The procedure is minimally invasive, and you can live a normal life without a gallbladder. Your liver will continue to produce bile to digest food, but instead of being stored in the gallbladder, the bile will drip into the small intestines.