Thomas Bryant, MD, is a surgeon who practices at East Morgan County Hospital in Brush, Colo.
Question: What is the treatment for a bad gallbladder?
Answer: The best treatment for a bad gallbladder is to remove it.
Some treatments were also developed which do not involve an operation. These treatments involve attempting to break up stones with shock waves or dissolve the stones with chemicals. These treatments are now used only rarely. They take months to work and have a high complication rate. Since the gallbladder is left in place, gallstones frequently recur.
In most cases a gallbladder operation is an outpatient procedure. This means that a person can come to the hospital in the morning, have the operation and go home the same day. This is because most gallbladders can be removed with a laparoscope. This procedure involves only very small incisions in the abdomen. This makes the operation much more comfortable and speeds return to normal activity.
When laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) was first developed, a laser was sometimes used to seal tiny blood vessels. Subsequently, it has been shown than a non-laser electrical instrument works somewhat better and costs a lot less to use.
Generally, people are back at work about two weeks after their operation. People who do a lot of heavy work may need a bit longer. Others have been back to work in less than one week.