Gallstones Explained: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Options
Quick answer
Gallstones are small, hardened deposits that form inside the gallbladder, usually made of cholesterol. Many people have them without ever knowing, but if they cause repeated pain, especially after fatty meals, or lead to infection or inflammation, keyhole removal of the gallbladder is usually the most reliable long-term treatment.
What are gallstones, and why do they form?
The gallbladder is a small organ that stores bile, a fluid made by the liver to help digest fat. Gallstones form when substances in bile, most often cholesterol, become concentrated and harden into small stones. They can be as tiny as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball, and a person can have one or many.
Gallstones are extremely common, and a large number of people who have them never develop any symptoms at all. In that case, they usually don't need treatment, just awareness.
What symptoms suggest your gallbladder is the problem?
The classic symptom is pain in the upper right or central abdomen, often after a fatty or heavy meal, that can spread to the back or right shoulder blade. Attacks can last from thirty minutes to several hours. Nausea, bloating and discomfort after eating fatty foods are also common.
If pain is accompanied by fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or persistent vomiting, this suggests a more serious complication such as infection or a blocked bile duct, and needs urgent medical attention rather than a routine appointment.
Do all gallstones need to be removed?
No. Gallstones that are causing no symptoms are usually left alone and simply monitored, since the risks of surgery for a silent stone generally outweigh the benefit. The conversation changes once stones start causing repeated pain, inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), or complications like a stone moving into the bile duct.
Once symptoms are established and clearly linked to the gallbladder, they tend to keep recurring, so removing the gallbladder is usually recommended rather than trying to manage attacks indefinitely.
What does keyhole gallbladder removal actually involve?
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, removing the gallbladder through a few small keyhole incisions using a camera and fine instruments, is one of the most common and well-established operations in general surgery. Most patients go home the same day or the day after, and the gallbladder itself is not essential for life, the liver simply sends bile directly to the digestive system afterward.
Recovery is generally quick. For more detail on what the first days and weeks look like, see our guide to recovery after keyhole surgery.
Frequently asked questions
Are gallstones dangerous if left untreated?
Silent gallstones with no symptoms are usually low risk. Once they start causing pain or complications, leaving them untreated raises the risk of infection, a blocked bile duct, or inflammation of the pancreas, so it's worth having them properly assessed.
Can diet or medication dissolve gallstones?
There are rarely-used oral medications that can dissolve certain small cholesterol stones very slowly over months to years, but they are not effective for most patients and stones commonly return once treatment stops. Diet cannot dissolve existing stones, though it can help reduce the chance of new ones forming.
Will I need to change my diet after gallbladder removal?
Most people return to a normal diet within a few weeks. Some notice they are more sensitive to very fatty or heavy meals afterward, and it usually helps to reintroduce food gradually in the first couple of weeks.
Not sure what your symptoms mean?
Try the pre-visit symptom checker on the homepage, or call American Hospital Dubai to book a consultation with Dr. Meisam.
Call 800 24392This article is general educational information, not a medical diagnosis. It may not cover every situation, and Dr. Meisam may ask further questions in person to confirm what applies to you. If you have concerning symptoms, seek in-person medical advice.