Management of gallstones.
Asymptomatic patients with gallbladder stones rarely develop complications and therefore do not require treatment; in contrary, symptomatic patients should he treated. Nowadays, several approaches are available to treat gallbladder and ductal stones using surgical techniques. chemical dissolvents, fragmentation, endoscopic and percutancous approaches. The choice of approach is influenced by the site, size and chemical composition of stone, as well as the age, general condition and desire of patient. Surgical approaches are considered as the primary method of treatment. Nonsurgical treatment is considered in patients at high risk and patients unwilling to undergo surgery. The main concern of non-surgical treatment is the high recurrence rate, especially after dissolution.
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Al Mofleh