Patient Question: Description:I am a female, 55 years old, with 18mm gallstones found during a routine physical examination but no symptoms. I would like to ask Dr. Li to give me medical advice, thank you! Doctor’s reply: It is impossible to determine whether the pain is caused by gallbladder disease based on the current description alone. According to the current expert consensus, removal of gallbladder is recommended only in symptomatic cases for stones as large as yours, and asymptomatic cases can be followed up. Biliary preservation for stone extraction is not recommended. Patient question: Dr. Li, is it necessary to do a gallbladder function test first, I don’t know if there is such a test can make a health judgment on the gallbladder, if the gallbladder function is good whether it is possible to preserve the gallbladder, after all it is an organ, don’t want to lose it. After all, it is an organ and I don’t want to lose it. Of course, it is under the premise of ensuring health and safety. Doctor’s reply: There is no standard accepted very good test for gallbladder function, it is usually assessed by ultrasound to detect changes in gallbladder size before and after meals. Many patients have the same mentality as yours to blindly pursue gallbladder preservation, but the fact is that the current level of science does not yet have the relevant theoretical basis to support and exact recurrence prevention measures, so at least for the time being, gallbladder preservation is not yet mature, and there is no expert consensus and consultation guidelines worldwide that recommend gallbladder preservation. In addition, overall cholecystectomy is a very safe procedure and the postoperative effects on the body are not significant. Thank you for your trust.