The treatment of acute cholecystitis caused by gallstones depends on the person's general state of health and how long the inflammation has been present. Your doctor may advise an immediate operation or to wait until the inflammation has subsided before operating. If waiting is advised, the treatment will be in hospital with antibiotics and fluids given through a vein, because you're not allowed to eat or drink by mouth during the illness. After a few days, the pain and inflammation begin to subside and food and fluids can be taken by mouth. If there are stones in the bile ducts, they can be removed during the ERCP procedure described above.
Many people live with gallstones.
They are rarely life-threatening, but the pain they cause can be severe.