Gallstones Treatment in Chicago

If you choose to undergo laparoscopic surgery (known as laparoscopic cholecystectomy), your surgeon will make small incisions in your abdomen to insert a laparoscope and special surgical instruments, which will be used to remove your gallbladder. With open surgery, your doctor will make a single large incision on your abdomen and the gallbladder is removed manually. If you undergo endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), your surgeon will only remove gallstones from the bile duct without touching the gallbladder. All of these surgeries are performed under local or general anesthetic.

The length of stay in Chicago depends on which procedure you undergo. In general, you may need to stay for 7 to 14 days after surgery. During your stay, you will have to attend follow-up checkups and your surgeon may remove the stitches if they did not use dissolving stitches. 

The type of procedure you undergo determines the recovery period. while you may be able to get back to your normal routine within 10 days after laparoscopic surgery, you may need to wait around 6 weeks to fully recover from open surgery. If you undergo ERCP, you should be able to go back to work after several days.

A healthy and balanced diet is very important to stop gallstones from growing again. Your surgeon will give you instructions regarding dietary restrictions and exercises you need to perform in order to stay healthy after the treatment. 

Gallstones treatment is known to be highly effective and successful, with about 90% of people have successful treatment. However, there are some risks and side effects to be aware of and the risks include infection, damage to the bile duct, bleeding, blood clots, and abdominal pain.

If surgery is not an option for you, medication to dissolve gallstones can be the alternative. However, it may take months or years of treatment to treat gallstones using medication. Also, the gallstones may form again if you stop taking the medication.