Can Gallstone Surgery Relieve My Painful Attacks?

Stabbing pain in the abdomen that takes your breath away isn’t on your to-do list for an afternoon spent with family and friends after eating a hearty meal. These painful episodes can last for hours, leaving you drained and tired. So what options do you have when medications and other conservative strategies fail you?

A permanent solution to pain and discomfort caused by gallstones is the removal of the gallbladder, the pear-shaped organ that stores bile. While bile aids in digesting fats, it’s not essential for survival, and it’s the organ in which gallstones form.

At Carolina Digestive Health Associates, our experts perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a minimally invasive surgical technique that comes with tiny incisions, less scarring, and less time spent recovering.

If you’ve been failed by conservative treatment methods and fearing a gallstone attack after each fatty meal isn’t what you wish for in the long term, our experts explain what gallstone surgery actually does and what results you can expect to see.

What to expect after gallstone surgery

Will I get any painful attacks afterward? Will I be able to digest food?

As the surgeon removes the gallbladder, the source of the gallstones is gone, and you won’t experience any gallstones from now on. You’ll still be able to digest fat. However, now the bile is more diluted, and your body may need some time to adjust. Smaller, more frequent meals can prevent indigestion and discomfort.

Weighting the pros and cons of conservative treatments vs surgery

Gallstones are formed when the chemical makeup of bile is disrupted by too much cholesterol. As a consequence, tiny crystals start to form. Over time, these crystals turn into gallstones. Most gallstones are made of cholesterol. Another cause of gallstones is excess bilirubin, a waste product.

When a gallstone blocks a duct, preventing the normal flow of bile, pain appears. These effects usually occur after a fatty meal since fat intake makes the gallbladder work harder to release bile. Alongside pain, you may also experience nausea, vomiting, and jaundice.

Conservative treatments include the following:

• Losing weight at a steady pace (if weight loss is a goal, rapid weight loss can cause gallstone attacks).
• Switching hormone therapies to alternatives (high-estrogen pills in women are linked to gallstones).
• Avoiding certain antibiotics.
• Eating low-fat meals.
• Taking medications to dissolve the gallstones.

Lifestyle interventions and medications can be helpful, but family history also plays a role in whether you will develop gallstones. In addition, medications used to dissolve gallstones are only effective for gallstones made of cholesterol and aren’t very effective for managing large gallstones.

The process of dissolving gallstones is also very slow, and because the organ is still there, other gallstones can start forming.

Surgery remains the only option to remove existing gallstones, including large ones, and prevent future attacks from happening.

Because our team uses a minimally invasive surgical technique, if you choose to remove the gallbladder, you can go home within 24 hours after the surgery and return to light activities, such as walking, within 1-2 days after your arrival home.

Learn more about managing your painful attacks

If you’re experiencing painful gallstone attacks and want to explore treatment options, including laparoscopic cholecystectomy, contact us to schedule an appointment at one of our locations in Charlotte, North Carolina, or Belmont, North Carolina.

Our experts are more than happy to examine you and let you know what treatment route is best for improving your quality of life.