What is bile stone extraction

  The biliary tract is an important part of the human digestive system. It has the function of secreting, storing, concentrating and transporting bile, and has an important regulatory role in the discharge of bile into the duodenum. In turn, bile can play a role in emulsifying fat, promoting absorption of lipolytic vitamins, inhibiting the growth of intestinal pathogenic bacteria and endotoxin production, stimulating intestinal peristalsis and neutralizing gastric acid. The role of the gallbladder in the biliary system mainly includes the functions of concentrated storage and discharge of bile and secretion. Stones may occur when the body’s lipid metabolism is abnormal, when the gallbladder is infected with bacteria, or when the gallbladder contracts and empties abnormally. Gallbladder stones are the result of a combination of factors.  The presence of gallbladder stones will have a significant impact on human health and quality of life. Studies have found that about 90% of patients with gallstones suffer from varying degrees of acute and chronic cholecystitis, and biliary colic can cause great pain to patients. In addition, stones less than 1 cm in diameter are likely to drain into the common bile duct via the cystic duct, causing secondary common bile duct stones, biliary pancreatitis and acute cholangitis, and severe acute severe cholangitis and hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis can be life-threatening. The most serious is that gallstones are closely related to gallbladder cancer, and gallbladder stones have a 0.5% to 1% chance of causing gallbladder cancer. The occurrence of gallbladder cancer is closely related to the size of the stones, the larger the stones and the longer the course of chronic cholecystitis, the greater the chance of gallbladder cancer. Therefore, once we find gallbladder stones, we should pay enough attention to them and take appropriate treatment.  There are 2 types of treatments for gallbladder stones, non-surgical and surgical: non-surgical treatments mainly include drug lithotripsy, herbal treatment and extracorporeal lithotripsy. These treatments are inaccurate and may even aggravate the disease; surgical treatments include open cholecystectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and laparoscopic biliary stone extraction.  Since 1882, when Lengenbuch first performed cholecystectomy, conventional cholecystectomy has become the basic treatment for gallbladder disease. However, in addition to some complications, the most obvious disadvantage of traditional open cholecystectomy is that it is too damaging to the organism – the incision is too large!  About 100 years after open cholecystectomy was performed, with the development of medical technology, the world’s first laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC procedure) was done by German surgeon Muhe in 1986. In China, it was first carried out in the early 1990s at the grassroots level in Guangxi Qujing County People’s Hospital. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the earliest of minimally invasive surgical procedures, and now LC surgery has almost replaced traditional open cholecystectomy, which has been called the “gold standard” of gallstone treatment! It is the mainstream method for the treatment of gallstones.  The advantages of lumpectomy are less trauma, less pain, more accurate results and faster recovery. Instead of large incisions, the procedure can be done in the same quality with only 3 small holes of 0.5~1cm.  However, cholecystectomy also has its defects: biliary tract injury may be caused during the operation; dyspepsia after the operation; bile reflux gastritis; increased incidence of common bile duct stones; possible increased incidence of colon cancer; decreased function of certain lymphatic immunity; post-cholecystectomy psychological disorder, post-cholecystectomy syndrome, etc. At this time, the development of cholecystectomy makes up for the defects of traditional surgery. This procedure preserves the gallbladder, avoids the impact of cholecystectomy on the physiological function of the body, and avoids the complications of cholecystectomy operation, but also has the disadvantage that there is a possibility of recurrence of stones in the long term, and is not suitable for all patients with gallbladder stones. Gallbladder stones; patients with a strong desire for gallbladder preservation.  Contraindications to cholecystectomy: gallbladder atrophy; gallbladder cancer; intrahepatic gallbladder; Mirizz syndrome; confirmed complete loss of gallbladder function; poor general health condition and preoperative assessment of intolerance to surgery.  Minimally invasive “biliary lithotripsy” is performed under laparoscopic guidance. The gallbladder is first located under the laparoscope and a small incision is made to aspirate the bile.  The purpose of bile preservation surgery is to preserve the functional gallbladder and try to remove stones from the gallbladder. However, since the cause of stone formation is not fundamentally controlled, there is still a possibility of recurrence. The current newer methods of biliary stone extraction through the combined use of laparoscopy and choledochoscopy have reduced the recurrence rate of stones after biliary surgery to less than 10% (2.4~8.9%). It should be that choledochoscopic stone extraction allows for more precise stone removal, coupled with proper preoperative and intraoperative assessment of biliary preservation.  To promote contraction and emptying of the gallbladder after biliary stone extraction and to reduce stone recurrence, the regulation of dietary structure and regularity is particularly important. Milk and fatty foods can promote the contraction and emptying of the gallbladder, and it is a misconception to avoid oil and meat after gallbladder stone surgery. The gallbladder needs a lipid diet to contract and empty. A high-fat, high-cholesterol diet is prone to grow gallbladder stones, while a vegetarian, fat-free diet is prone to cholecystitis when the gallbladder does not contract and empty, and bile is prone to stagnation and stone formation.  Therefore, it is recommended that the lipid diet of postoperative patients with gallstones should be based on vegetable fats, and they can eat walnuts, nuts and other fatty nuts to minimize the intake of animal fats and cholesterol. In addition, exercise can increase lung capacity and increase intra-abdominal pressure. The repeated enhancement of intra-abdominal pressure causes compression of the gallbladder, which facilitates the emptying of the gallbladder. Gallbladder recurrence of stones after biliary conservation surgery rarely has adhesions, and re-operation is very simple and still minimally invasive! In addition, many scholars are concerned about the relationship between gallbladder stones and gallbladder cancer. Epidemiological surveys show that gallbladder cancer occurs in 1 to 3 out of every 100,000 gallbladder stone patients, which is a very low chance. If it is indeed admitted that the existence of stones is related to the occurrence of gallbladder cancer, it is not a reason to remove the gallbladder, on the contrary, removing the stones is a reason to remove the cause of cancer and is a reason to preserve the gallbladder!  Tzu said: the body hair and skin, received by the parents, do not dare to destroy, the beginning of filial piety also. To make a name for oneself in the future, to show one’s parents, is the end of filial piety. Gallstone extraction is the best embodiment of traditional Chinese thought!