Contents:
- Medical Video: Cholecystectomy | Gallbladder Removal Surgery | Nucleus Health
- What is gallstones?
- Treatment of gallstones without surgery
- 1. Medication for bile acids
- 2. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotrips (ESWL) Therapy
- 3. Injections
- 4. Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP)
Medical Video: Cholecystectomy | Gallbladder Removal Surgery | Nucleus Health
Every time you hear "cholesterol" ringing in your ears, most people will immediately associate it with a blockage of blood vessels which can lead to heart disease or stroke. Though gallstones can also be one of the conditions that arise due to high cholesterol. Gallstones are formed due to the accumulation of fat in the gallbladder which eventually crusts and turns into a small stone. Treatment of gallstones usually involves surgery. But apparently there are also several ways to treat gallstones themselves without having to have surgery. These methods are also as effective as helping to shed or destroy gallstones. Anything?
What is gallstones?
Gallstone is a condition that occurs because bile is petrified or hardened. The gallbladder is an organ under the liver that has a function as a place to store bile. In many cases, this disease does not cause any symptoms.
However, if gallstones have blocked the bile duct, the patient will experience severe pain in the upper right abdomen, especially if the stomach is under pressure or tapped. As a result, patients will not be able to move much. The size of gallstones varies. Some are as small as grains of sand and some are even as big as golf balls. The number of stones formed varies, some only have one stone and there are also many.
The exact cause of gallstones is unknown, but doctors say there are several factors that might have a major effect on gallstones. The most common causative factor is the hardening of cholesterol which is buried in the bile. Even so, other factors such as age and weight can also affect the formation of gallstones.
Treatment of gallstones without surgery
In addition to reducing symptoms, treatment of gallstones is needed to avoid developments that can worsen conditions such as acute cholecystitis, a condition in which gallstones block the bile ducts which cause the gallbladder to become inflamed and infected. Alternative ways often become an "escape" for many people to avoid side effects after surgery. Now here are some treatment for gallstones without surgery that you can try.
1. Medication for bile acids
In some cases, gallstones can be treated with medication. Certain chemicals such as ursodiol or chenodiol have been shown to dissolve gallstones. This drug is available in oral bile acid pills. These drugs work by eroding the bile to allow the gallstones to dissolve. For many people this pill can be well tolerated by patients. However, if you have no symptoms, the most common treatment is "wait and see the progress". Even if gallstones recur repeatedly, doctors may delay treatment or surgery because of other health problems. If your surgery is delayed, you must remain under doctor's care and immediately report if symptoms recur.
2. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotrips (ESWL) Therapy
Treatment of gallstones without other surgeries is therapyExtracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotrips(ESWL). This therapy is most effective if the solitary gallstones are still less than 2 centimeters in diameter. The purpose of this treatment is to break down or destroy gallstones by sending shock waves through the soft tissues of the body.
3. Injections
The choice of non-surgical treatment involves injecting a solvent known as methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) into the gallbladder to dissolve gallstones. Research has shown that MTBE quickly dissolves gallstones - but there are some serious side effects such as severe burning. That is why, before being injected the patient must ask for all possible side effects.
4. Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP)
Stone blockage in the bile duct can be treated with an endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography (ERCP) procedure. This procedure aims to remove gallstones without removing the gallbladder for those whose condition is not strong enough to undergo the surgical procedure. The ERCP process takes around 30-60 minutes, or faster. After undergoing this procedure, patients generally have to stay one night in the hospital for monitoring conditions.
