Gallbladder stone treatment requires a combination of cholecystectomy and bile preservation with individualized protocols

  Gallbladder stones are a common disease that affects human health, and there are many debates on the treatment of gallbladder stones from gallbladder removal to gallbladder preservation. Patients who are suitable for biliary preservation should have their gallbladder removed; patients who are not suitable for biliary preservation should have their gallbladder removed. The standardized indications and contraindications for surgery should be followed.  If the diagnosis of gallbladder stones is clear and there is a history of acute attacks, in principle, surgical treatment should be performed when the gallbladder is removed. Although gallbladder stones themselves are not complicated, the possibility of acute onset, secondary bile duct stones, biliary pancreatitis, intestinal fistula of the gallbladder, and even gallbladder carcinoma, plus the fact that gallbladder stones are very common, should be taken seriously enough! The accepted and effective standard treatment for gallbladder stones remains laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which satisfactorily resolves the problem without associated comorbidities. Adverse reactions after cholecystectomy are a special category! In short, all surgeries cause trauma to the body, all carry risks, and all may have some medical conditions related to trauma and tissue repair, but the probability of serious problems is small as long as each step of treatment is carried out specifically following basic medical principles. Of course, the patient’s age, physical condition, specific medical condition, and the presence of serious concomitant diseases also have a great deal to do with the postoperative recovery process and status, so please consult with your physician for details.  If the gallbladder is functioning well and the patient is able to understand the recurrence of stones, laparoscopic biliary surgery can be attempted. However, the indications should be strictly controlled, and the currently accepted indications are: ( 1 ) good gallbladder function; ( 2 ) no history of acute cholecystitis attack, gallbladder wall <4mm; ( 3 ) single or multiple stones, diameter >0.3cm. At present, there is a chaotic image of bile preservation stone extraction, and many hospitals have started to do it. This has led to irregularities in the technical operation and uneven development levels. Some hospitals do not even have basic laparoscopy and cholangioscopy, but advertise biliary surgery, using the old method of stone extraction, opening the gallbladder, using forceps to remove stones, and using hand touch to determine whether the stones are removed, which results in a higher recurrence rate of stones; some hospitals have different levels of personnel operating laparoscopy and cholangioscopy, resulting in inconsistent surgical results and affecting the treatment of biliary stone extraction.  We use laparoscopy combined with choledochoscopy to perform biliary surgery, which is minimally invasive and can maximize stone extraction. During the laparoscopic surgery, the TV screen can clearly display the internal organs, even the tiny blood vessels, which helps the surgeon to do the surgery more carefully and patiently and avoid damaging the surrounding organs. With the use of fiberoptic choledochoscope visualization technology with lithotripsy mesh basket to remove stones, there is no blind spot in the field of vision, and the stones are removed thoroughly and cleanly. Generally, you can go down to the ground 6 hours after the operation, eat on the first day after the operation, and be discharged from the hospital 2-3 days after the operation, and live and work normally 1 week after the operation. Minimally invasive biliary lithotripsy only involves a small 5mm hole in the abdomen. Therefore, there is no conspicuous incision scar, and most patients can’t even see any trace on the abdominal wall several months after the surgery.