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Gallstones and gallbladder disease - Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gallstones.

Alternative Names

Cholecystitis; Choledocholithiasis; Bile duct stones

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy:

Gallstone fragmentation by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) may be an appropriate therapy for some patients who cannot undergo surgery, but it is no longer widely used. The treatment works best on solitary stones that are less than 2 centimeters in diameter. Less than 15% of patients are good candidates for lithotripsy. The typical procedure is performed as follows:

  • The patient sits in a tub of water.
  • High-energy, ultrasound shock waves are directed through the abdominal wall toward the stones.
  • The shock waves travel through the soft tissues of the body and break up the stones.
  • The stone fragments are then usually small enough to be passed through the bile duct and into the intestines.
  • Lithotripsy is generally combined with oral dissolution treatment to help dissolve the fragmented pieces of the original gallstone.

Complications. Complications include pain in the gallbladder area and pancreatitis, usually occurring within a month of treatment. In addition, not all of the fragments may clear the bile duct. Adding erythromycin to the treatment regimen may help remove these fragments. About 35% of patients who are left with fragments are at risk for further problems, which can be severe. The chance of recurrence is high with this procedure, and in one study, 45% of patients eventually required surgery. Elderly people may have a lower risk for recurrence than younger adults.

Resources

References

Afdhal NH. Diseases of the Gallbladder and Bile Ducts. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D. (eds.). Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007.

Chambrlain RS, Sakpal SV. A comprehensive review of single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) techniques for cholecystectomy. J Gastrointest Surg. 2009 May 2 [Epub ahead of print].

Chari RS, Shah SA. Biliary system. In: Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. St. Louis, MO: WB Saunders;2007:chap 54.

Dray X, Joy F, Reijasse D, et al. Incidence, risk factors, and complications of cholelithiasis in patients with home parenteral nutrition. J Am Coll Surg. 2007;204(1):13-21.

Gurusamy, KS, Samraj K. Cholecystectomy versus no cholecystectomy in patients with silent gallstones. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(1):CD006230.

Ito K, Ito H, Whang EE. Timing of Cholecystectomy for Biliary Pancreatitis: Do the Data Support Current Guidelines? J Gastrointest Surg. 2008 Jul 18 [Epub ahead of print].

Konstantinidis IT, Deshpande V, Genevay M, Berger D, Fernandez-del Castillo C, Tanabe KK, et al. Trends in presentation and survival for gallbladder cancer during a period of more than four decades. Arch Surg. 2009;144(5):441-447.

Liu B, Beral V, Balkwill A, Green J, Sweetland S, Reeves G, et al. Gallbladder disease and use of transdermal versus oral hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. BMJ. 2008;337:a386. Doi: 10.1136/bmj.a386.

Portenier DD, Grant JP, Blackwood HS, et al. Expectant management of the asymptomatic gallbladder at Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2007; 3(4):476-479.

Rosing DK, de Virgilio C, Yaghoubian A, et al. Early cholecystectomy for mild to moderate gallstone pancreatitis shortens hospital stay. J Am Coll Surg. 2007;205(6):762-766.

Strasberg SM. Acute calculous cholecystitis. N Engl J Med. 2008;358(26):2804-2811.

Tse F, Liu L, Barkun AN, Armstrong D, Moayyedi P. EUS: a meta-analysis of test performance in suspected choledocholithiasis. Gastrointest Endosc. 2008;67(2):235-244.

Verbesey JE, Birkett DH. Common bile duct exploration for choledocholithiasis. Surg Clin N Am. 2008;88(6):1315-1328.

Williams EJ, Green J, Beckingham I, et al. Guidelines on the management of common bile duct stones (CBDS). Gut. 2008;57(7):1004-1021.

  • Reviewed last on: 6/26/2009
  • Reviewed by: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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