gall stones

[Thunderbird+]

What are gall stones and how can they be treated ?

[malaise]

Calcium? Definitely some kind of mineral. I can't be bothered to look it up.

Can be treated by laser to break up the stones so they pass naturally, or you can have your gallbladder removed via keyhole surgery.

[Clanad]

They are calcium like accretions that form in the bile ducts leading from the gall bladder to the small intestine. The two types of gallstones are cholesterol stones and pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are usually yellow-green and are made primarily of hardened cholesterol. They account for about 80 percent of gallstones. Pigment stones are small, dark stones made of bilirubin. Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. The gallbladder can develop just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or almost any combination.
If any of these ducts remain blocked for a significant period of time, severe�possibly fatal�damage or infections affecting the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas can occur. Warning signs of a serious problem are fever, jaundice, and persistent pain (Source: National Digestive Diseases Clearing House).A surgeon friend says that surgical removal of the gall bladder is still the most common treatment, but I'd want a second opinion...

[helsbels666]

Gallstones are precipitations of cholesterol/ bile pigments that build up to form stones. They are harmless until they block the opening from the gall bladder or get lodged in the common bile duct (the passage between the liver, gallbladder and the intestines). Here they cause pain due to the gallbladder squeezing to get past the obstruction and they prevent the passage of bile causing jaundice and other complications. Long term symptoms can be reduced by a low fat diet, in the acute presentation antibiotics may be required if an infection has occured and then if they are deemed big enough to create a problem they can be removed endoscopically by a stent or the gallbladder may also be removed via keyhole surgery,