Treatment of Gallstones - What Options Do You Have

The treatment of gallstones can and will vary depending on the individuals overall health, their personal preferences and the options their medical care provider feels are safe for the patient. Keep in mind, you always have a say in your course of treatment for every medical condition. You have the final say in what happens to your body.

The treatment of gallstones is not any different. You should discuss with your doctor the options that are available for you to use. This can be remedies that do not include medication to relieve the pain. It can also be using your diet to decrease the bile buildup.

Preventing gallstones is always going to be better and easier than treating them. It has been suggested that gallstones can be hereditary, which means you should take extra care if someone in your immediate family has had gallstones, you should take a few extra steps to prevent the formation of gallstones.

Dietary modifications are often a great choice for preventing gallstones. Here are some tips to modify your diet:

1. increase your daily consumption of fresh fruits and veggies
2. increase your daily consumption of dietary fibers
3. decrease the amount of saturated fats, sugars, cholesterol and animal proteins you consume
4. eliminate fried foods from your diet completely
5. increase the amount of water you drink
6. decrease, if possible eliminate coffee from your diet
7. talk to your doctor about taking vitamin supplements

In some cases, it might be necessary for a person to undergo a surgical procedure in order to remove the gallbladder and all of the problems. If this is deemed necessary, your doctor will discuss your options with you.

About 95% of individuals that require a surgical procedure are able to undergo a laparoscopy. This is usually done with a few small incisions, a camera and some tools to remove the gallbladder. This is considered to be minor surgery with only a minimal amount of hospital stay required.

The remaining 5% of individuals that require surgery have a procedure that is called an open operation. This requires a few nights stay in the hospital and about 3 weeks of recuperation time at home. If your doctors determines this procedure to be the best option for you, it could be because you have scar tissue, an infection or an overly irritated gallbladder.

Be open and honest with your medical care provider about your concerns towards the treatment of gallstones. He or she will answer all of your questions and work with you on finding the most appropriate and safest treatment for you.