Therapeutic options for gallstones.
Patients with asymptomatic gallstones should not be considered surgical candidates; patients with defined symptoms of biliary tract disease, however, should be advised not to postpone surgery or endoscopic sphincterotomy with stone retrieval. A smaller group of patients who fulfill specific criteria may benefit from chenodiol (Chenix) therapy and long-term follow-up. Such experimental techniques as dissolution with methyl tert-butyl ether and fragmentation with extracorporeal shock waves hold exciting promise for the future.
D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002765:Cholecystography; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography