No symptoms will be present unless obstruction occurs. Even after the gallbladder is removed, a stone may remain in the common bile duct causing episodic pain. An obstruction in the common bile duct can also lead to an obstruction in the pancreatic duct because these ducts are connected in most people. The incidence is 6 out of 100,000 people.
Prevention is unknown.
Surgical removal of the gallbladder and the stones may be recommended. Removal of the stones by ERCP , which is also a diagnostic procedure to determine the cause and location of obstruction, may be recommended where the procedure is available. With prompt diagnosis and treatment, the outcome is usually very good. This illustration shows the major organs of the digestive system. Their relative sizes and positioning in the body are also demonstrated.