Gallbladder Stone Treatment in India
- Top Accredited Hospitals
- Global Medical Standards
- Cutting-Edge Technology
- Proven Treatment Options
- High Success Rate
- Trusted by Millions
What is a Gallbladder Stone?
Your gallbladder can form hardened deposits of digestive fluid in the form of gallstones. The tiny, pear-shaped gallbladder is on the right side of your stomach, directly beneath your liver. The gallbladder stores bile, a digestive fluid released into the small intestine.
Gallstones are as large as a golf ball or as small as a grain of sand. Even though some individuals develop numerous gallstones at one time, others develop just one.
Surgery to remove the gallbladder is usually required for individuals with gallstone issues. Normally, gallstones with no symptoms do not need treatment.
What is the Importance of Timely Treatment?
Early treatment of gallbladder stones may prevent inflammation (cholecystitis), pancreatitis, jaundice, and even gallbladder cancer. Early treatment improves quality of life, minimises discomfort, and avoids repeated stone formation. It also decreases the risk of infection and ensures improved surgical outcomes if surgery is required. Treating gallstones early can avoid more complex health issues, reduce treatment costs, and facilitate recovery.
What are the Common Symptoms of Gallbladder Stones?
Gallstones may not produce any symptoms at all. The following signs and symptoms may occur if a gallstone gets stuck in a duct and clogs it:
- Sudden and rapidly worsening pain in your upper right abdomen
- Sudden, rapidly worsening pain in the centre of your belly, just below your breastbone
- Pain in the area between your shoulder blades
- Your right shoulder aches.
- Nausea or vomiting
Causes and Risk Factors of Gallbladder Stone
Causes
- There is excess cholesterol in your bile. Ideally, the molecules of your bile are enough to dissolve the cholesterol your liver secretes. However, excess cholesterol can crystallise and become stones if your liver secretes more than your bile can dissolve.
- Your bile contains too much bilirubin. Your body makes bilirubin as a waste product from the breakdown of red blood cells. Liver cirrhosis, biliary tract infection, and some blood diseases are some conditions that lead your liver to make more bilirubin than it should. The excess bilirubin promotes gallstone formation.
- You have an improperly emptying gallbladder. Bile may become highly concentrated and aid in forming gallstones if your gallbladder fails to empty completely or often enough.
Risk Factors
- Being fat or overweight
- Being inactive
- Having a pregnancy
- Consuming a diet rich in fat
- Consuming a diet rich in cholesterol
- Consuming a diet low in fibre
- Having gallstones in your family
- Having diabetes
- Having blood conditions like leukaemia or sickle cell anaemia
- Rapid weight loss
- Using pharmaceuticals for hormone therapy or oral contraceptives that contain estrogen
- Having hepatic dysfunction
Connect with our advisor for a PRIORITY response
Gallbladder Stone Prevention Tips
- To prevent gallstones, keep a healthy weight through regular exercise and a balanced diet.
- Eat a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fibre to help digestion and decrease cholesterol.
- Steer clear of processed and fatty foods to minimise cholesterol and saturated fats.
- Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated and ensure gallbladder function and bile production.
- Regular exercise also improves digestion and helps with weight control.
- Adding healthy fats to your diet, such as omega-3s or olive oil, can help prevent stones and stimulate bile movement. Small, frequent meals also reduce gallbladder pressure and help manage bile production.
Treatment options for Gallbladder Stone
Gall Bladder Removal: A cholecystectomy sometimes requires the doctor to make several small incisions in your abdomen, pass in a small video camera, and employ specialised equipment to remove the gallbladder.
Cost Start From USD 3500 - USD 4500Explore Options
- Clinical assessment:
- Physical Examination:
Palpation of the Abdomen: The doctor gently pushes the abdomen to feel for any tenderness, particularly in the right upper quadrant, which may indicate gallstone colic or gallbladder tenderness.
- Imaging Tests:
- Ultrasound: The most commonly employed non-invasive procedure for detecting gallstones is ultrasound.
- Computed Tomography (CT) scan: If problems are suspected or more detailed images are needed, a CT scan can be used. However, it is not as sensitive as ultrasonography for detecting gallstones.
- MRI can look into the bile ducts and gallbladder. A special type called MRCP (Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography) is advantageous for bile duct stones.
- Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) combines ultrasonography with endoscopy. It is often used when regular ultrasonography fails.
Rehabilitating the patient after gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) and stabilising any changes in the digestive system are often the primary objectives of post-treatment care or rehabilitation for gallstones. Common rehabilitation alternatives are:
DietaryChanges: After surgery, patients may have to follow a low-fat, high-fibre diet to facilitate digestion and prevent digestive issues such as diarrhoea. Gradual food resumption helps the digestive system adjust to the gallbladder's absence.
Physicalactivity: Light physical activity, like walking, is recommended shortly after the operation to promote circulation, prevent blood clots, and support overall recovery. Strenuous activities should be avoided for a few weeks.
- Depending on the situation, your healthcare professional may prescribe medicine to help control your symptoms and support the treatment plan.
Instantly Connect with our Specialists
Hospitals for Gallbladder Stone in India
Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket
Delhi, India
Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, is a 250-bed tertiary care hospital awarded NABH accreditation, which provides advanced medical care in various specialities such as Cardiac Sciences, Orthopaedics, Neurology, Urology, Kidney Transplant, Paediatrics, and Obstetrics & Gynaecology. The hospital provides quality, safe, integrated, and patient-centric medical care using modular OTs, ICUs, Cath Labs, CT, MRI and Dialysis units.
Manipal Hospital, Hebbal
Bangalore, India
Manipal Hospitals, a group of Manipal Education Medical Group, is India’s leading multi-speciality network, comprising over 650 beds. Dedicated to clinical excellence, patient-centric care and ethical practices, it provides sophisticated diagnostics, surgery and home care services to both domestic and international patients, while also improving access to affordable healthcare for underprivileged communities.
The Madras Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology
Chennai, India
MIOT started its journey with only 70 beds and focusing on Orthopedics and Trauma care. However, we grew into a multi-specialty hospital with time. MIOT is now a 1000-bedded hospital and can offer an extensive range of services across 63 specialties. The state of art laboratory of our hospital is ranked 8th internationally. We have 21 super-specialty operation theaters equipped with cutting-edge technology to help our doctors with complex procedures.
We take great care to make our patient rooms comfortable enough. The patient rooms get plenty of fresh air as well as natural light. The soothing views from the rooms do not let the patients feel cut off from the outside world. We use separate entrances for emergency patients, out-patients, in-patients, and their attendants. We put our patients’ safety first which is why we use a superior air system to ensure a near-zero infection healthy environment.
Apart from that, MIOT’s 24 hours blood bank provides all kinds of blood work related services which include blood collection to component separation. This state-of-art blood bank alone handles more than 30,000 units of blood over the course of a year. Every month around 600 blood transfusions are managed by this blood bank.
MIOT’s SIGNA Pioneer 3T MRI machine is made with noise reduction technology. This silent MRI machine can deliver superior quality neuroimages without wasting any time. The department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences can give tough competition to any international hospital with its advanced technology and accuracy.
The PET CT service at MIOT International is the first of its kind in South India enabling better and more accurate diagnosis than earlier. The superior diagnosis is also possible for the two digital cath labs at MIOT Heart Revive center.
We also have a physiotherapy team where a team of highly efficient physiotherapists deals with the mobility and functional disability issues of our patients. They listen to the patients carefully to identify the root of the pain and use therapeutic exercises to reduce their pain.
The CCU of MIOT is something to be proud of. The specially-trained staff of this unit is dedicated to ensuring top-quality medical support to serious patients. This unit along with the MIOT International Laboratory is the backbone of our facility.
Furthermore, what makes MIOT unique is our Telemedicine service. In the new normal, we are trying everything to reach our patients. Our one of its kind Telemedicine service connects our patients to our 250 full-time doctors over email, phone, chat and video consultations.
Our Services to better your experience
Opinion & Option
We submit the most accurate opinion and options from one or more countries for your review
Consult Privately
Consult with a certified specialist privately on our telemedicine platform even before you decide to travel
Logistics
We handle flights, visas, transfers, and accommodation—so you can focus on your health.
Recovery
Our In-house rehabilitation service packages to better your recovery and treatment outcome
Why Choose India for Gallbladder Stone Treatment?
For several significant reasons, gallbladder stone treatment is increasingly gaining popularity in India:
Affordable: Treatment costs in India are significantly lower than in most Western countries without compromising the quality of care. Thus, India is an attractive option for medical tourists.
Advanced minimally invasive techniques are assured by the very experienced surgeons in India who perform gallbladder surgery, such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
State-of-the-Art Medical Facilities: The best hospitals and clinics in India have the latest medical technology, ensuring superior diagnosis and treatment options for gallstones.
AccreditedHospitals: Many Indian hospitals have become internationally accredited by organisations like JCI (Joint Commission International) to ensure they meet international healthcare standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gallstones do not usually go away by themselves. Although some small, asymptomatic stones may cause no problems immediately, they tend to remain in the gallbladder or bile ducts if they are not treated. Some patients with gallstones, however, may not have any symptoms and may not require therapy.
The principal treatment for gallstones is surgery, specifically cholecystectomy or removal of the gallbladder. This can be done in open or laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery. While it is rare, medication such as bile acids can occasionally be given to dissolve small stones. An endoscopic procedure such as ERCP clears stones blocking the bile ducts.
Yes, laparoscopic surgery is the most widely used technique and is generally safe for gallstones. It involves fewer cuts, a shorter recovery time, less pain, and less risk of infection than open surgery. While they are rare, issues such as bile duct injury or disease can occur with any procedure. For most gallstone patients, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is considered a highly safe and successful treatment.
In India, recovery after gallbladder surgery (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) is generally short. Although complete healing takes four to six weeks, most individuals can return to normal activities within one to two weeks. Patients might experience some aching or discomfort in the initial days, though that tends to be manageable using medications. Following the physician's advice and guidelines regarding food intake and activity levels is essential to quick recovery.
Gallstones can be very painful, especially if they block the gallbladder or bile ducts. Biliary colic is discomfort that typically begins in the upper right abdomen and may radiate to the right shoulder or back. The pain lasts from a few minutes to a few hours and is often sudden and severe. Large meals or fatty foods may trigger it.
If gallstones are left untreated, they can lead to serious side effects like pancreatitis, jaundice, infection of the bile ducts (cholangitis), inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), and, in some cases, gallbladder cancer. Gallstones need to be treated early because these side effects can be severe and even life-threatening.
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) may treat gallstones without surgery. Provided that your gallbladder is normal and your stones are small, you can have this treatment.
ESWL is an outpatient procedure that doesn't require anaesthesia. This method produces shock waves by utilising high-energy sound waves. With enough power, the shockwaves may shatter and dissolve the gallstones.
ESWL could be an effective alternative for patients who cannot undergo surgery.
Once your gallbladder is removed after surgery, you can live without it. The gallbladder stores bile, which assists in fat digestion. After gallbladder removal, the liver makes bile, which goes directly into the small intestine. Some might experience minor digestive problems, like diarrhoea or difficulty digesting fatty foods, but most can lead everyday lives without a gallbladder.
Yes, gallstones may form due to sudden weight loss. Rapid weight loss causes your liver to secrete more cholesterol into the bile, possibly leading to gallstones. This is especially common after weight-loss surgery or on very low-calorie diets. To reduce the risk of gallstones, it is recommended that you lose weight slowly, 1-2 pounds per week.