Remove gallstones. Removing stones from the gallbladder. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy method

Identification of stones (calculi) in gallbladder often becomes an unpleasant surprise. After all, their presence indicates the development of cholecystolithiasis or cholelithiasis and raises the question of the advisability of a visit to the surgical clinic.

In recent decades, this disease, characteristic of middle-aged and elderly people, has become significantly younger. A fifth of patients with cholecystolithiasis have not yet celebrated their thirtieth birthday.

The resulting stones vary in number (single or multiple), chemical composition (black and brown pigmented, cholesterol, mixed, complex), size and location (they can move from the bladder to the bile ducts).

Symptoms of gallstone disease

In many patients, gallstones become an incidental finding during an ultrasound scan.

In some patients, even large gallstones do not manifest themselves; they are usually an unexpected finding on X-ray or ultrasound examination for completely different reasons (asymptomatic form). For others, very small stones significantly complicate daily life causing them:

paroxysmal pain of varying severity (from barely perceptible to intense colic, called biliary colic) in the right hypochondrium and epigastric region, sometimes it radiates to right hand, back or right collarbone;
bitter taste in the mouth;
nausea;
belching bitter or airy;
vomiting;
bloating.

Sometimes the disease manifests itself atypically. Instead of the characteristic abdominal pain, pain occurs in the left side chest and behind the sternum, similar to cardiovascular disease – .

Often, patients themselves note a clear connection between the onset of signs of the disease and the consumption of fatty foods, stress, physical overexertion, or traveling in transport on a bumpy road.

Prolonged presence of stones leads to the fact that they constantly injure the delicate mucous membrane of the gallbladder, causing its inflammation - calculous cholecystitis. Its development is accompanied by the appearance elevated temperature, excessive fatigue, loss of appetite. The disease is not infectious, so such patients do not pose an epidemiological danger to others.

Causes

Scientists believe that the process of stone formation is triggered by a combination of the following key conditions:

oversaturation of bile with calcium, cholesterol or bile pigment - water-insoluble bilirubin;
the presence of inflammation in the gallbladder;
decreased contractility of the bladder, accompanied by stagnation of bile.

And the emergence of these conditions, in turn, is facilitated by:

female gender (although the number of sick men is now steadily increasing);
frequent childbirth;
taking estrogen - female hormones(including during the IVF procedure);
burdened heredity;
cold climate;
treatment with certain medications (clofibrate, cyclosporine, octreotide, etc.);
high-calorie diet with a lack of fiber;
rapid weight loss;
some diseases (hemolytic anemia, diabetes, Crohn's disease, liver cirrhosis, Caroli syndrome, etc.);
previous operations (removal of the lower part ileum, vagotomy, etc.).

Diagnostic procedures

Having suffered an attack of biliary colic should be a powerful incentive for subsequent examination and an indispensable trip to the doctor. After all, in 70% it is repeated. It is better to know your “enemy” and quickly begin to fight it than to bring the matter to serious complications (empyema - suppuration of the gallbladder, the spread of inflammation to nearby organs, blockage of the bile ducts with stones, secondary biliary cirrhosis, cicatricial changes in the ducts, cancer of the gallbladder and etc.), requiring life-saving intervention of a surgeon.

In addition, the described symptoms can occur with more harmless functional disorders(for example, with spasm of the muscular valve - the sphincter of Oddi, located at the very entrance of the common bile duct into the duodenum).

Modern diagnostic studies Tests needed to detect gallstones may include:

qualified examination by a doctor (when palpating the abdomen in special areas and gall points, pain is detected);
Ultrasound is the main method that detects up to 95% of stones, assesses their location, size, condition of the walls and size of the gallbladder;
X-ray examinations:
- plain radiography (you can see only calcified stones with calcium inclusions);
- cholecystography (allows you to detect radiologically contrasting stones, assess the condition and function of the bladder);
- computer or magnetic resonance imaging (used in unclear situations);
- endoUS (examination with an endoscopic device with an ultrasound attachment clarifies not only the condition of the bladder, but also the ductal system, pancreas, and major duodenal papilla);
- ERCP (excludes stones and other formations in the ducts);
- hemogram (with acute inflammation An increase in leukocytes, their fractions - neutrophils, and an acceleration of ESR are detected in the bladder).

Treatment

In some cases, a patient with calculous cholecystitis may be prescribed drugs that dissolve stones. They should be taken for a long time.

Identifying stones does not always imply mandatory surgery. But uncontrolled self-medication in this case is fraught with blockage bile ducts and an emergency placement on the operating table of the first available surgeon. Therefore, it is better not to drink liters of dubious cocktails from strictly prohibited choleretic herbs and vegetable oil, which are recommended by some “healers” among the people, and make an appointment with a gastroenterologist or surgeon.

Treatment of gallstones can be either conservative or surgical.

To the complex drug therapy may include:

drugs that relieve biliary colic: antispasmodics (no-spa, papaverine, etc.), non-narcotic (analgin, baralgin, etc.) and narcotic (morphine, etc.) analgesics;
antibiotics (for the development of cholecystitis - clarithromycin, etc.);
means for dissolving stones (ursodeoxycholic and chenodeoxycholic acids, but there are strict indications for their use, which can only be determined by a qualified specialist).

Taking litholytic (stone-dissolving) medications can lead to complications, so the patient must be under constant medical supervision throughout this entire period (it can last up to 2 years).

Some patients are prescribed extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (crushing stones).

Without surgical treatment can't be avoided with:

frequent biliary colic;
“disabled” (lost contractility) bladder;
large stones;
frequent exacerbations;
complications.

Modern technology helps to remove the bladder without a traditional incision in the abdominal wall (laparotomy) through small punctures (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) in it.

Prevention

Prevention education gallstones comes down to eliminating all possible factors predisposing to the disease (excess weight, unbalanced diet, etc.). To prevent the formation of new stones, litholytic drugs are recommended for most patients after surgery.

Which doctor should I contact?

If you experience pain in the right hypochondrium or accidentally discover stones, you should contact a gastroenterologist. Conservative treatment includes diet, so consultation with a nutritionist will be helpful. In some cases, there are indications for surgery. The approach to each patient with gallstone disease is individual, so there is no point in contacting a specialist remotely; a full personal examination and questioning of the patient is necessary.

The gallbladder is an organ that stores bile produced by the liver. The latter is necessary for digesting food. If necessary, it is released into the duodenum. Bile is a complex substance containing a large number of bilirubin and cholesterol.

Gallstones are formed due to stagnation of bile, during which cholesterol is retained in the bladder and precipitates. This process is called the process of formation of “sand” - microscopic stones. If the “sand” is not eliminated, the stones adhere to each other, forming stones. Stones form in the gall ducts and in the gallbladder itself long time. This takes 5-20 years.

Gallstones may for a long time does not manifest itself in any way, but it is still not recommended to trigger the disease: the stone can injure the wall of the gallbladder and inflammation will spread to neighboring organs (patients often also suffer from gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis). We will look at what to do if gallstones occur and how to treat this problem without surgery in this article.

How are gallstones formed?

The gallbladder is a small sac that holds 50-80 ml of bile, a fluid that the body needs to digest fats and maintain normal microflora. If bile stagnates, its components begin to precipitate and crystallize. This is how stones are formed, which increase in size and quantity over the years.

Moreover, one of the most common causes of illness are considered:

Severe inflammation in the gallbladder.
The contractility of the gallbladder decreases, which causes stagnation of bile.
When bile contains large amounts of calcium, cholesterol, bile pigment, it is water-insoluble bilirubin.
Most often, in women, the disease is provoked by obesity, a large number of births, and the use of hormones - estrogens.
Heredity. The formation of gallstones is caused by a genetic factor. If parents suffered from an illness, their child also has a risk of developing pathology.
Drug treatment – Cyclosporine, Clofibrate, Octreotide.
Diet. Fasting or long intervals between meals can cause gallstones. Limiting your fluid intake is not recommended.
Gallstones can occur due to, hemolytic anemia, due to Caroli syndrome, .
As a consequence of an operation in which the lower part of the intestine is removed.
Alcohol. Abuse of it provokes stagnation in the bladder. Bilirubin crystallizes and stones appear.

As you know, bile consists of various components, therefore stones may differ in composition. The following types of stones are distinguished:

Cholesterol - have a round shape and a small diameter (approximately 16-18 mm);
Calcareous – contain a lot of calcium and are quite rare;
Mixed - characterized by a layered structure, in some cases consisting of a pigmented center and a cholesterol shell.

In addition, bilirubin stones, which are small in size and localized both in the bag and in the ducts, can form in the gallbladder. However, most often the stones are mixed. On average, their sizes range from 0.1 mm to 5 cm.

Symptoms of gallstones

The clinical picture of symptoms when gallstones appear is quite varied. Symptoms depend on the composition, quantity and location of stones. Most patients with single large stones located directly in the gallbladder are often not even aware of their disease. This condition is called the hidden (latent) form of cholelithiasis.

As for specific signs, then gallstones make themselves felt with such symptoms:

(projection of the liver and biliary tract) – intensity from mild discomfort to hepatic colic;
dyspeptic syndrome - manifestations of digestive disorders - nausea, unstable stool;
an increase in body temperature is a consequence of the addition of a secondary bacterial infection.
if the stone descends along the bile duct, then the pain is localized in the groin and radiates to the femoral part.

In 70% of people this disease does not cause any discomfort, a person begins to feel discomfort only when the stones have already grown and blocked the bile duct and the typical manifestation is biliary colic, this is an attack acute pain with periodic blockage of the bile duct by a stone. This attack of acute pain, that is, colic, can last from 10 minutes to 5 hours

Diagnostics

Diagnosis is carried out by a gastroenterologist. The diagnosis is established using the patient's complaints and some additional studies.

First, the patient undergoes an ultrasound of the abdominal organs. – the main and most effective method diagnosis of cholelithiasis. Detects the presence of stones in the gallbladder, thickening of the walls of the gallbladder, its deformation, and dilation of the bile ducts. Its main advantages are non-invasiveness (non-traumatic), safety, accessibility and the possibility of repeated use.

If the situation is more serious, then doctors resort to cholecystocholangiography ( X-ray examination with the introduction of a contrast agent).

Consequences

The course of gallstone disease can be complicated by the following conditions:

phlegmon of the gallbladder wall;
biliary fistulas;
Mirizzi syndrome (compression of the common bile duct);
gallbladder perforation;
biliary pancreatitis;
spicy and ;
hydrocele of the gallbladder;
intestinal obstruction;
gallbladder cancer;
acute purulent inflammation(empyema) and gangrene of the gallbladder.

In general, the presence of a stone in the bladder is not dangerous as long as it does not block the bile duct. Small stones usually pass on their own, and if their size is comparable to the diameter of the duct (approximately 0.5 cm), then pain occurs with passage - colic. The grain of sand “slipped” further into small intestine- the pain disappears. If the pebble is so large that it gets stuck, then this situation requires immediate medical intervention.

Gallstones: treatment without surgery

Detection of gallstones does not always imply mandatory surgical intervention; in most cases, treatment without surgery is indicated. But uncontrolled self-medication at home is fraught with blockage of the bile ducts and an emergency end to the operating table of the surgeon on duty.

Therefore, it is better not to consume dubious cocktails made from strictly prohibited choleretic herbs and vegetable oil, which are recommended by some traditional healers, and make an appointment with a gastroenterologist.

For conservative treatment of cholelithiasis The following medications are prescribed:

Drugs that help normalize the composition of bile (ursofalk, lyobil);
Enzyme preparations that improve digestive processes, in particular the processes of lipid digestion (Creon).
For pain caused by contraction of the gallbladder, patients are recommended to use various muscle relaxants (plataphylline, drotaverine, no-spa, metacin, pirencipin).
Stimulators of bile acid secretion (phenobarbital, zixorine).

Modern conservative treatment, which allows you to preserve the organ and its ducts, includes three main methods: dissolving stones with drugs, crushing stones using ultrasound or laser, and percutaneous cholelitholysis (invasive method).

Dissolution of stones (litholytic therapy)

Dissolving gallstones with medicines helps cure gallstones without surgery. The main drugs used to dissolve gallstones are ursodeoxycholic acid (Ursosan) and chenodeoxycholic acid (Chenofalk).

Litholytic therapy indicated in the following cases:

The stones are small in size (from 5 to 15 mm) and fill no more than 1/2 of the gallbladder.
The contractile function of the gallbladder is normal, the patency of the bile ducts is good.
The stones are of cholesterol nature. Chemical composition stones can be determined using duodenal intubation ( duodenum) or oral cholecystography.

Ursosan and Henofalk reduce the level of substances in bile that promote the formation of stones (cholesterol) and increase the level of substances that dissolve stones (bile acids). Litholytic therapy is effective only in the presence of small cholesterol stones, early stages diseases. The dose and duration of medication is determined by the doctor based on ultrasound data.

Stone crushing (extracorporeal lithotripsy)

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (pulverization) is a technique based on the generation shock wave, leading to the crushing of the stone into many grains of sand. Currently this procedure used as preparatory stage before oral litholytic therapy.

Contraindications are:

Bleeding disorders;
Chronic inflammatory diseases Gastrointestinal tract (cholecystitis, pancreatitis, ulcer).

TO side effects Ultrasound lithotripsy includes:

Risk of bile duct blockage;
Damage to the walls of the gallbladder by stone fragments as a result of vibration.

The indication for ESWL is the absence of patency obstruction. biliary tract, single and multiple cholesterol stones with a diameter of no more than 3 cm.

Percutaneous transhepatic cholelitholysis

It is rarely used because it is an invasive method. A catheter is inserted into the gallbladder through the skin and liver tissue, through which 5-10 ml of the mixture is injected dropwise special drugs. The procedure must be repeated; in 3-4 weeks, up to 90% of the stones can be dissolved.

You can dissolve not only cholesterol, but also other types of gallstones. The number and size of stones do not matter. Unlike the previous two, this method can be used not only in individuals with asymptomatic cholelithiasis, but also in patients with severe clinical manifestations diseases.

Surgery to remove gallstones

However, it is worth understanding that surgical treatment cannot be avoided if:

frequent biliary colic;
“disabled” (lost contractility) bladder;
large stones;
frequent exacerbations of cholecystitis;
complications.

In most cases, surgery to remove gallstones is recommended for patients whose disease is accompanied by frequent relapses, attacks severe pain, large-sized stones, high temperature body, various complications.

Surgical treatment can be laparoscopic and open (cholecystolithotomy, cholecystectomy, papillosphincterotomy, cholecystostomy). The surgical option is determined for each patient individually.

Nutrition

Usually, a diet is prescribed as soon as the first signs of gallstones appear. It is specially designed for such patients, it is called - therapeutic diet No. 5, you must adhere to it constantly.

fat meat;
various smoked meats;
margarine;
spicy seasonings;
hard-boiled eggs;
strong coffee;
canned meat and fish;
pickled products;
broths: meat, fish and mushroom;
fresh bread and yeast baked goods;
carbonated drinks;
alcohol.

Food is prepared by boiling or baking, and you need to eat it often - 5-6 times a day. The diet for gallstones should contain a maximum of vegetables and vegetable oils. Vegetables, due to vegetable protein, stimulate the breakdown of excess cholesterol, and vegetable oils improve intestinal motility, promote contraction of the bladder, and thereby prevent the accumulation of bile in it.

If stones are detected in the gall bladder, the doctor prescribes further treatment tactics individually for each case. Depending on the size of the stones and the patient’s condition, stone crushing and dissolution are recommended, which are non-surgical methods of therapeutic therapy.

Today medicine offers several various options, how to get rid of gallstones without surgery, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Medicinal dissolution

Drug treatment of gallstones without surgery is prescribed only if the cholesterol stones do not exceed two centimeters in size.

Therapy is carried out with the prescription of drugs with ursodeoxycholic and chenodeoxycholic acid, which are analogues of bile acids.

Preparations with ursodeoxycholic acid are used to reduce the concentration of bile. These include:

Ursoholol;
Ursolysin;
Ursofalk;
Ursosan.

The presented products are used once a day in a dosage corresponding to the patient’s weight. Medicines cannot be used if they exist inflammatory processes in the biliary tract, liver, kidney dysfunction.

Preparations with chenodeoxycholic acid contribute to the partial (and sometimes complete) dissolution of gallstones. These include:

Henosan;
Henofalk;
Henochol;
Chenodiol.

Medicines with chenodeoxycholic acid are contraindicated for inflammation of the intestines, esophagus and stomach, and for hepatic and.

Along with the main medications, medications are prescribed aimed at stimulating the contractile function of the gallbladder and the production of bile: Allohol, Lyobil, Holosas, Zixorin.

To improve the patency of the bile ducts and improve the outflow of bile, it is recommended to take cholespasmolytics: Metacin, Papaverine, Eufillin, Drotaverine.

Important! Calcareous and pigment stones in the gallstones cannot be dissolved and removed using drug therapy.

Drug therapy has a number of contraindications:

Pregnancy;
Related chronic diseases in the gastrointestinal tract;
Obesity;
Simultaneous use of estrogen drugs.

The disadvantages of medical non-surgical removal of gallstones include the rather high cost of the drugs necessary for treatment, a long course of treatment (from six months to 3 years) and a fairly high number of relapses. After the end of the reception medicines Cholesterol levels in the blood rise again, and after a few years there is a possibility of recurrence of stones.

Ultrasonic crushing

This method is based on crushing stones using high and vibration shock waves. Ultrasonic waves destroy stones, crush them into small particles (particle size - no more than 3 mm), which are then independently removed from the bile ducts into the duodenum.

Indications for the use of ultrasound: intended for patients who have a small amount of stones (up to four pieces) large sizes, without lime impurities in the composition.

Ultrasonic crushing of stones is accompanied by ultrasound before and after the procedure so that the doctor can monitor the destruction process.

Contraindications:

Pregnancy;
Chronic inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract;
Impaired blood clotting.

Important! During the crushing process, there is a high probability that a sharp piece of stone that breaks off can damage internal walls organ.

During the procedure, the patient may experience discomfort, pain and discomfort.

Disadvantages of the method:

Possible damage to the walls of the gallbladder due to the sharp edges of crushed stones.
Possibility of blockage of the bile ducts due to vibration.

After removing stones using ultrasound, you should go on a strict diet and follow all medical instructions, because there is a risk of complications in the future in the form of jaundice.

Laser removal gallstones removal is considered the most gentle and progressive non-surgical method.

Indications for laser use: the size of the stones should not be more than 3 mm.

During the laser crushing process, a puncture is made on the anterior abdominal wall to gain access to the gallbladder. A laser beam is brought into the treatment area, which begins to split the stones, turning them into fine particles that go out on their own. The effect is achieved through several procedures, the duration of one session is no more than 20 minutes.

Contraindications:

Age over 60 years;
Obesity, weight over 120 kg;
General serious condition patient.

Laser removal is accompanied by an ultrasound to prevent damage to the walls of the gallbladder by sharp fragments.

Disadvantages of the method:

The need for special equipment and highly qualified specialists;
Possible damage to the walls of the gallbladder due to the sharp edges of the stones;
There is a possibility of laser burns to the mucous membrane, which can subsequently cause the formation of an ulcer.
The laser method is quite popular and very effective.

Note! The use of a laser allows you to preserve the gallbladder; the procedure does not take much time and is performed in a hospital setting.

Contact method

The contact method was developed relatively recently and is based on a chemical effect on stones. Using this method, you can remove all types of stones (not just cholesterol stones), and the size and number of stones do not matter.

The essence of the method: through a puncture in the skin, a thin catheter is inserted into the gallbladder, through which a special chemical solvent is injected in small portions. Afterwards, the solvent, together with the dissolved particles of stones, is sucked out of the gall bladder.

The entire procedure is carried out under strict ultrasound and radiographic control.

Disadvantages of the method: invasiveness and duration - the procedure can be carried out within 16 hours.

The contact method can be used at any stage of the disease. Its effectiveness is 90%.

Laparoscopy

A method called laparoscopy will help remove stones from the gallbladder. Stones are removed using an endoscope, while the patient is under general anesthesia.

The essence of the method: through small incisions in the skin, special metal conductors (trocars) are inserted into the bile duct. Afterwards, through trocars in abdominal cavity carbon dioxide is introduced. A device is inserted through one of the incisions to transmit the image to the monitor. Based on the image, the doctor finds and removes the stone.

After the procedure is completed, special staples are applied to the vessels and ducts of the gallbladder.

The duration of the event is about an hour, the subsequent hospital stay is approximately 1 week.

Contraindications:

Cardiovascular diseases;
Excess body weight;
Pathologies of the respiratory system;
The presence of adhesions on the bile ducts remaining after other surgical interventions;
Purulent and inflammatory processes in the gallbladder.

Non-surgical removal of gallstones involves the use of traditional and homeopathic treatment methods. These methods also show sufficient effectiveness, but must still be used under medical supervision - self-treatment may lead to worsening of the condition.

Only a doctor can choose a method for removing gallstones based on tests and the patient’s health condition. Before you get rid of gallstones without surgery, you should know the main causes of their occurrence. Addiction to high-calorie foods containing a lot of cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, chronic disorders digestion, in which the release of bile into the intestines slows down, and hormonal imbalances in the fairer sex (during pregnancy, menopause) often contribute to the thickening of the contents of the gallbladder. Over time, stones form in it - dense formations consisting of bile enzymes. The person begins to feel heaviness in the right hypochondrium and other accompanying symptoms.

The most popular way to cure these formations is surgical, which involves cholecystectomy - removal of the entire gallbladder (GB) along with its contents. However, you shouldn’t be scared right away and prepare for surgical intervention. Under certain conditions, it is possible to get rid of mineral deposits using conservative methods.

Delay of contents in the HDD along with high level animal fats in food first lead to the appearance of grains of sand. In fact, these are the smallest stones. At the same time, the disease still practically does not manifest itself in any way. Mild symptoms typical of cholecystitis (malaise, heaviness in the right hypochondrium) may be disturbing. If a person does not change his lifestyle and does not start treatment for at this stage, the grains of sand become larger, stick together and turn into large stones. As a rule, stone formation is a rather long process that lasts for decades.

However, a large number of negative factors, joining concomitant diseases can speed it up a lot. ABOUT fast current cholelithiasis is said to be harsh stabbing pains that appear after eating dishes with high content animal fat. Colic can occur when shaking in transport. Sometimes the pain increases, starting with unpleasant sensations in the epigastrium, gradually intensifying, radiating to the neck, under the shoulder blade. The attack of pain goes away within 6 hours. When removing a large stone, blockage of the bile duct may occur, accompanied by severe pain.

The presence of severe stabbing or cutting pain may indicate the presence of fairly large stones in the gallbladder. If you have these symptoms, you should definitely contact a gastroenterologist or surgeon.

When pain appears in the epigastric region and suspicions of the presence of stones, many patients immediately begin to independently search for and use various recipes and medications. This is strictly not recommended. Before you start getting rid of stones in the gallbladder, you should contact medical institution and undergo examination. First of all, you need to do an ultrasound to verify the presence of stones, their size and specific location.

In some cases, when ultrasound results are not enough to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe an oral cholecystography. This is a special type of examination of the gallbladder, in which the patient swallows substances that contrast the contents of the gallbladder. The images show the entire bladder and its ducts in more detail; even small stones can be detected.

Methods of drug therapy

The stones can either be cut out ( surgical removal), or dissolve with special drugs. The latter method is called oral cholelitholytic therapy, which uses agents containing chenodeoxycholic or ursodeoxycholic acid. They help reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines and its entry into bile.

You can treat with this method in the following cases:

the stones must have a cholesterol composition, which is determined during the analysis of the contents of the gallbladder, isolated during the duodenal intubation procedure;
the size of all detected objects should not exceed 1.5 cm, the ideal size is 5 mm; larger mineral formations are difficult to treat with drugs;
The gastrointestinal tract is filled with stones to a maximum of half;
the contractility of the gallbladder walls is normal, and the patency of the bile ducts is good;
body weight does not exceed average values;
The patient’s health allows him to take these medications long enough and regularly.

During the treatment period, you should avoid taking other medications that may promote stone formation (including estrogen-containing contraceptives) or prevent the full penetration of chenodeoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acids into the gallbladder (various antacids, Activated carbon and etc.). At chronic diseases liver, stomach or intestines, it is generally not recommended to remove mineral deposits in the gallbladder using the above-described drugs.

If during treatment the patient begins to experience pain varying degrees intensity with a gradual increase, you must stop taking the medications and consult a doctor.

When choosing this method of therapy, the doctor prescribes a course of medication from six months to two years with mandatory periodic monitoring and testing. The duration of treatment and dosage of medications will depend on the size and number of stones, the age of the patient, and the stage of gallstone disease. Efficiency can reach 80%. The dissolution of solid particles will be complete or partial.

This treatment for gallstones without surgery has side effects. These include a fairly large number of relapses after the end of the therapeutic course (up to 70%). If the factors that influenced the appearance of cholesterol deposits are not eliminated (sedentary lifestyle, poor diet), the quality of bile will deteriorate, which will again provoke stone formation.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy method

This method means crushing petrified pieces of bile using the external influence of a shock wave (the main thing is to precisely focus the impulse) and their subsequent natural removal from the body. The method can be used for patients with a small number (1–4 pieces) of cholesterol stones, each no more than 3 mm in size.

The main types of lithotripsy:

the impulse is created by a spark discharge (through an elastic membrane);
the shock pulse is generated using an electromagnetic field;
piezoelectric pulse generation.

Several sessions are performed. First, primary fragmentation of the formations (cracking) occurs. Next, the stones are fragmented into small particles, which are independently excreted through the bile ducts into the intestines. This method can be combined with medication.

Shock wave lithotripsy is not suitable for diseases associated with blood incoagulability, with installed cardiac pacemakers, peptic ulcer stomach, etc. Pregnant patients cannot be treated with this method.

To side effects this method treatment should include a high probability of blockage of the bile ducts with large particles of destroyed stones. Due to the vibration of stones caused by exposure to ultrasound, the walls of the gallbladder can be damaged, followed by their inflammation.

Homeopathy, herbal medicine and alternative treatment

It is difficult to say how effective homeopathic methods are in treating gallstone disease, since homeopathy causes too much controversy in the medical community. Individual representatives of this alternative medicine, promising the natural removal of mineral deposits, even recommend urine intake to their patients. Such procedures should be treated with great doubt. The risk of harm to health far exceeds the likelihood of positive dynamics when taking suspicious homeopathic medicines.

Drugs plant origin They are generally not able to get rid of stones once they have already formed. Moreover, choleretic infusions and decoctions can provoke the removal of stones. If the size of the stones exceeds the diameter of the ducts, this can lead to partial or complete blockage of the latter. For this reason, herbal medicine can only be used as an auxiliary method and only with the permission and under the supervision of the attending physician.

There are others unconventional methods getting rid of gallstone disease. For example, treatment according to Boltov-Naumov, when chicken bile is taken orally, and it is necessary to adhere to a strict diet. It is assumed that the supply of bile from the outside will contribute to the softening and subsequent removal of stones from the body. GB should be treated in this way from several days to several weeks.

Patients are also encouraged to take black radish juice. It is believed that it is capable of dissolving mineral deposits in the gallbladder. The effectiveness of these techniques has also not been proven. Having decided to independently take these substances, the patient does so at his own peril and risk!

If a patient is afraid of any surgical procedures and hopes to remove cholesterol deposits in the gallbladder without any incisions, he should adhere to clear nutritional principles, without which the effectiveness of therapy will be low and the risk of relapses will be high.

Non-surgical treatment of gallstone disease involves following a strict diet. It is better to eat often, in small portions 5-6 times a day. Lard, fatty meat, smoked, salted or spicy food. Alcohol is strictly prohibited in any form!

You should eat more foods containing fiber (porridge, vegetable salads). From meat dishes would be better suited boiled or baked poultry, rabbit, lean beef, fish different varieties. Taking broths is not recommended. Olive oil can be used as a fat substitute in reasonable quantities.

Will have a positive effect on the patient’s condition and moderate exercise stress. Walking on fresh air, light exercise will help maintain the tone of the gallbladder and improve a person’s overall well-being. And you must follow the recommendations of your doctor.