Diet for gallstone disease and other methods of its treatment

Diet for gallstone disease and other methods of its treatment

Cholelithiasis: diet, methods of treatment

With gallstone disease, stones and sand are formed in the gallbladder and bile ducts. Understanding the results of the examination allows the specialist to stop the signs of gallstone disease: treatment is carried out taking into account the number of stones and their size, concomitant diseases and the general condition of the patient. If there are acute symptoms, then the treatment is carried out in an inpatient setting, with remission or a mild form of the pathology, outpatient treatment is possible, but under the supervision of a doctor.

Cholelithiasis: treatment without surgery

One of the important methods is the diet for gallstone disease - exclusion from the diet of fatty, spicy, fried food, chocolate, sweet carbonated drinks and alcohol. The menu should consist of easily digestible vegetable, dairy and meat products. It is also necessary to observe the diet - eat small portions, but often (5-6 times a day), do it at approximately the same time.

Treatment of gallstone disease without surgery involves taking special drugs - ursodeoxycholic and chenodeoxycholic acid. They are able to dissolve stones in the gallbladder, but this method works only in the presence of small (no more than 2 mm in diameter) single stones. The course of therapy lasts at least 12 months, all this time you will have to take drugs and follow a diet.

Methods of treatment of gallstone disease are different - extracorporeal shock wave therapy, which allows to destroy stones, is effective. It is performed only in the presence of cholesterol-type stones - no more than 3 mm in diameter, with their small number and preserved contractility of the gallbladder. During the procedure, stones are crushed into small fragments (maximum 1 mm long) and removed from the body together with feces. This therapy is painless and does not require hospitalization.

If there are no positive results of conservative treatment within 1-2 years, then operative treatment is recommended.

Often after 1-3 months of taking medicines and following a diet, the patient notes the disappearance of symptoms. But doctors warn that it is impossible to interrupt the course of therapy and even more so to violate the recommended diet - an exacerbation of gallstone disease requires serious treatment.

Surgical treatment

Treatment of gallstone disease by the operative method is carried out when conservative treatment is ineffective. Surgical intervention can be performed in two ways:

  • classical removal of the gall bladder with stones - at the same time, a laparotomy (dissection of the anterior abdominal wall) is performed. After the operation, a scar with a length of at least 10 cm remains;
  • laparoscopic removal of the gall bladder with stones - small incisions are made in the abdominal wall, through which a laparoscope (a type of endoscopic equipment) is inserted, with its help the gall bladder is removed.

Operation to remove the gallbladder in case of gallstone disease requires special preparation. After the removal of the gallbladder, the patient must adhere to a diet and undergo a regular examination by a gastroenterologist, because after the removal of the gallbladder, problems with digestion may occur.

Folk remedies

Inexpensive methods of treatment of gallstone disease are always of interest to patients. Therefore, patients with gallstone disease resort to folk medicine methods. But it should be remembered that decoctions and tinctures based on plant components provoke increased production and secretion of bile - this can lead to the migration of stones from the gall bladder into the bile ducts. The result of such a process is blockage of the bile ducts, which requires urgent surgical intervention.

Treatment of exacerbation of gallstone disease and all complications should be carried out by proven methods. Folk remedies can be used as additional therapy only after consultation with a doctor.

You can read more about the occurrence of gallstone disease, symptoms, and treatment on the pages of our website dobrobut.com.

Updated: 03.04.2025
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Doctors who advise on this issue:
6experience (y.)
Radiuk Roman Serhiiovych
Radiuk Roman Serhiiovych
A general practitioner is a family doctor
13experience (y.)
Korol Iryna Yevheniivna
Korol Iryna Yevheniivna
Physician; A general practitioner is a family doctor; Pediatrician
17experience (y.)
Zahorodniuk Anna Volodymyrivna
Zahorodniuk Anna Volodymyrivna
Physician; A general practitioner is a family doctor; Pediatrician

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