What are the dangers of gallstones?

Gallstones may cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, indigestion, fever, jaundice, etc. In severe cases, critical conditions such as cholecystitis, cholangitis, and even pancreatitis may occur, which requires attention.

The harm of gallstones is mainly related to their size, number and whether they cause bile duct obstruction. When the stones are small and stable, there may be no obvious symptoms, but if the stones enter the bile duct and cause obstruction, it can lead to acute cholecystitis, manifested as severe pain in the right upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting and fever. If gallstones exist for a long time and continue to irritate the gallbladder wall, they may also induce gallbladder atrophy and fibrosis, and even increase the risk of gallbladder cancer. Stones impacted in the common bile duct may cause obstruction of bilirubin excretion, resulting in jaundice such as yellowing of the skin and sclera; once extended to the pancreatic duct, it may induce acute pancreatitis, a serious disease that requires emergency treatment. If stones cause recurrent cholangitis or form bile fistulas, it may cause chronic abdominal pain and infection that further develops into sepsis, which is life-threatening.

For gallstones, treatment needs to vary from person to person. For asymptomatic gallstones, regular observation and health management are usually recommended, such as regular ultrasound examinations to monitor stone changes; patients with obvious symptoms or complications may require surgical treatment. This includes minimally invasive laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which is currently the most commonly used surgical method with the fastest recovery; for high-risk patients, percutaneous gallbladder puncture and drainage can be selected; if the stones are impacted in the common bile duct, they can be removed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Dietary adjustments are also very critical. It is recommended to reduce high-fat, high-cholesterol foods, increase dietary fiber intake, and maintain moderate exercise every day to reduce the risk of recurrence. If symptoms such as acute abdominal pain and fever occur, seek medical attention as soon as possible to avoid worsening of the condition.