Symptoms of gallstones
- Biliary colic: severe pain in the upper right or middle abdomen, often after a fatty meal, lasting from 30 minutes to several hours and sometimes spreading to the right shoulder or back.
- Nausea, vomiting, bloating and indigestion.
- Fever with pain (acute cholecystitis).
- Yellow eyes and skin, dark urine and pale stools (a stone blocking the bile duct).
- Severe upper abdominal pain going through to the back (gallstone pancreatitis).
Diagnosis
Abdominal ultrasound detects most gallstones. Blood tests check liver function and pancreatic enzymes. If a stone in the bile duct is suspected, MRCP (a special MRI) or endoscopic ultrasound is done, and stones may be removed by ERCP before or after surgery.
Who needs surgery?
Surgery is recommended for gallstones that have caused pain or complications such as cholecystitis, pancreatitis or jaundice. Stones found by chance and causing no symptoms usually do not need removal, except in special cases (for example a porcelain gallbladder, gallbladder polyps over 1 cm or very large stones).
Medicines to dissolve stones work only rarely and the stones usually return, so they are not a practical treatment for most people.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Under general anaesthesia, the surgeon makes 3–4 small cuts (5–10 mm), inflates the abdomen with carbon dioxide and uses a camera to remove the gallbladder. The operation takes 45–90 minutes. In a small number of cases (about 1–5%), conversion to open surgery is necessary for safety, for example with severe inflammation.
Recovery
- Most patients go home the same day or the next morning.
- Mild shoulder-tip pain from the gas is common for 1–2 days.
- Return to desk work in about 1 week; full activity in 2–3 weeks.
- Start with light, low-fat meals and reintroduce normal foods gradually.
Life without a gallbladder
The liver continues to make bile, which flows directly into the intestine. Most people eat a normal diet. A few notice looser stools after fatty meals, which usually improves within weeks.
Risks
Complications are uncommon but include bleeding, infection, bile leak, retained stones and, rarely (about 0.3–0.5%), bile duct injury. Choosing an experienced laparoscopic surgeon reduces these risks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just remove the stones and keep the gallbladder?
Not usually. The gallbladder that formed stones will keep forming them, so removing the whole gallbladder is the standard of care.
Is it dangerous to delay surgery?
Repeated attacks raise the risk of cholecystitis, pancreatitis and jaundice, and make surgery more difficult. Planned surgery soon after symptoms begin is preferred.
What should I eat after gallbladder removal?
Begin with small, low-fat meals and plenty of fibre and fluids, then return to a normal balanced diet over a few weeks.
Last reviewed: October 2026. This page is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor.