Gallstone disease is a fairly common and dangerous disease that very often leads to an operation known as cholecystectomy. Today it is one of the most frequent surgical interventions and, despite the fact that in most cases it is performed laparoscopically, that is, with minimal surgical intervention, its consequences for the body are still quite serious, and for those who have been cured in this way cholelithiasis, diet after surgery should be very strict and observed throughout life, then many would like to avoid such surgery.
Since at the moment, the causes of the development of cholelithiasis are not sufficiently clarified , and, accordingly, it is not known how to prevent it, preventive measures are ineffective. But it’s known for sure that if the stones in the gallbladder are already formed, then it is almost impossible to get rid of them yourself - treatment without cholelithiasis without the recommendation of a specialist is impossible, but there are still effective medical methods.
Treatment without cholelithiasis can be medication: there are drugs that help dissolve some types of stones. This method is far from effective in all cases, since the stones must have a certain nature, namely, be cholesterol and have small dimensions. They should be located in such a way that the bile ducts are not blocked, and the gallbladder should function normally. There are not so many cases when stones in the gallbladder lend themselves to such treatment, and the likelihood that this method may suit an individual patient is very small. But even in the case when, judging by the results of research, this method may be suitable, it can still turn out to be ineffective, and if we take into account the high cost of drugs and the long duration of treatment, not everyone has the opportunity to use it.
There is also such a kind of drug treatment as contact percutaneous transhepatic litholysis. Such treatment without the operation of cholelithiasis can be called non-operative very conditionally, since the abdominal wall and gall bladder are punctured, through which special preparations are introduced through a catheter to dissolve the stones. This is a relatively new and therefore very expensive method, and few specialists have sufficient skills. In addition, if they enter some mucous membranes, such drugs can cause inflammatory and ulcerative lesions. Such treatment without surgery for cholelithiasis can last several weeks. Indications for him are the same as in the above case.
Recently, such a method of removing stones from the gallbladder as extracorporeal shock wave lithotrepsy, or the destruction of stones in the gallbladder with a wave directed from the outside, has gained wide popularity. Despite the apparent simplicity, such treatment without gallstone surgery has many contraindications, and the likelihood of complications after it is quite high. Thus, stones can be removed no more than average sizes, preferably single ones. In this case, the functioning of the gallbladder should be normal, and the ducts must be passable, otherwise serious problems may arise.
Thus, despite the fact that at present there is more than one way by which treatment without cholelithiasis can be performed, all of them are still imperfect, expensive, and relapses are very likely to occur after their use, and the range of their use is very narrow, so they can not yet become a real alternative to surgery. You should not count on alternative treatment for cholelithiasis - its danger is not only that, counting on a miracle, you can seriously start the disease, but also provoke the movement of stones that can clog the ducts, which will lead to an emergency operation. A planned operation is nevertheless preferable, since it is not done in a hurry by the doctor you have chosen, and it is in the clinic where you use the methods that suit you and all the necessary conditions are created.