Are gallstones serious? Are complications serious?

When it comes to gallstones, everyone is familiar with it. Women are most likely to get gallstones, especially middle-aged women. Gallstones are very harmful. If not treated in time, the complications caused are very serious, such as acute pancreatitis, and may even endanger the patient's life.

1. Complications

Bile duct stones Gallbladder cancer Ulcerative colitis Acute cholangitis Acute suppurative cholangitis Acute biliary pancreatitis Mirizzi syndrome

Complications of gallstones include acute cholangitis or acute suppurative cholangitis, biliary pancreatitis, Mirizzi syndrome, and cholecystogastrointestinal fistula.

2. Western medicine treatment of gallstones

Surgical method:

1. Traditional open surgery to remove the gallbladder and stones.

2. Open the abdomen to explore the bile duct and remove the stones.

3. Laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder through a tiny incision.

4. Laparoscopy combined with choledochoscopy to explore the bile duct and remove stones.

Other special treatments:

1. Litholytic therapy (litholytic therapy with oral bile acid and other drugs): The main mechanism of gallstone formation is the change of the physical and chemical composition of bile, the reduction of the bile acid pool and the increase of cholesterol concentration. Through experiments, it was found that after oral administration of chenodeoxycholic acid, the bile acid pool can be expanded, and the liver's cholesterol secretion can be reduced, so that the cholesterol in the bile in the gallbladder can be converted to an unsaturated state, and the cholesterol stones in the gallbladder may be dissolved and disappear. In 1972, Danjinger first used chenodeoxycholic acid to successfully dissolve 4 cases of cholesterol gallstones in the gallbladder. However, this drug has certain toxic reactions on the liver, such as increased alanine aminotransferase, and can stimulate the colon and cause diarrhea.

Currently, the main drugs for lithotripsy are chenodeoxycholic acid and its derivative ursodeoxycholic acid. Treatment Indications:

① The diameter of the gallstone is less than 2 cm.

② Gallbladder stones are X-ray transparent stones with low calcium content.

③ The cystic duct is unobstructed, that is, a functional gallbladder can be shown on the oral cholecystography film.

④The patient's liver function is normal.