To detect gallstones, pulses of sound waves are sent into the abdomen to create an image of the gallbladder. If stones are present, the sound waves will bounce off the stones, revealing their location. Although ultrasonography usually is more expensive than other diagnostic tests, it has several advantages. It is a noninvasive technique, which means nothing is injected into or penetrates the body. In addition, ultrasound is painless, it has no known side effects, and it avoids exposure to radiation.
Surgery is by far the most common method for treating gallstones.
Each year, over 500,000 Americans have their gallbladders surgically removed. A routine gallbladder operation usually lasts 1 to 2 hours and is performed under a general anesthetic. After the organ is removed the surgeon checks the bile ducts for any stones that may have passed into these channels. However, it is possible for even the best surgeon to miss some stones hidden in the bile ducts. In fact, as many as 10 percent of patients coming out of surgery have stones remaining in the bile ducts.