Based on statistics, about 500,000 American gallstones sufferers undergo surgery annually. The surgery is called cholecystectomy and is recommended for patients diagnosed with gallstones in their bile ducts.

Nevertheless, there are patients who may still have their stones removed through non surgical gallstone treatment but will depend on the doctorâ??s diagnosis.

The type of treatments will depend on the characteristics and composition of the stones. They may be diagnosed as cholesterol stones or pigment stones wherein the distinction will based in its main compositions of cholesterol, calcium salts or bilirubin, all found in the bile. The size will also matter because gallstones can come as small as grains of sand or as large as a golf ball.

In some cases, persons who could not be administered with anesthesia for other medical reasons are likewise recommended for non surgical gallstone treatment. However, there is a drawback that the patient will experience recurrence of gallstones formation.

The following are the approaches used in ridding a person of his gallbladder problems through non-surgical means:

1. Oral Dissolution Therapy

Under this method, patients are treated with drugs whose main compositions are bile acids. These drugs are expected to create an effect of dissolving the stones.

This type of approach are best recommended for smallerâ??sized gallstones. The length of treatment may last for months or even years until all the stones have been dissolved.

Patients may suffer from certain side effects in taking the related drugs while undergoing this kind of non surgical gallstone treatment. Cases of mild diarrhea and high cholesterol levels have been noted among patients in the course of their medications.

2. Contact Dissolution Therapy

This method is still being tested for patients diagnosed with symptoms of cholesterol stones and is considered as a high risk treatment because its adverse effect can be toxic.

Only medical practitioners with sufficient knowledge of this type of non surgical gallstone treatment should perform the procedures, in as much as the treatment is still under experimental stage. The process involves injecting the drug methyl tert butyl directly into the gallbladder as a way of dissolving the stones.

3. Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL)

This type of non-surgical gallstone treatment is also being used to dissolve kidney stones. Shock waves will be used to disintegrate the stones into smithereens so it can pass through bile ducts easily and not cause any blockages.

Aftermath of the surgery may find the patient suffering from biliary colic which is said to be intensely painful. Some gallstones may still remain thus requiring further drug medications.

For those who have more faith in the alternative medicine, the intake of herbs like artichoke, milk thistle and turmeric are resorted to as effective non-surgical methods.

All things considered, the diagnosis of a qualified medical practitioner will always be the basis whether the gallbladder disorder should undergo surgical or non-surgical gallstone treatment. In case the patient has doubts about the doctorâ??s diagnosis, he can always resort to seeking second opinions.