Yes, smaller gallstones can slip out into the bile duct during contraction of the gallbladder. If these stones are very small, they will pass down into the small intestine without creating any problems. However, if the stones are bigger, they can tend to get stuck in the cystic duct or the common bile duct and lead to pain. In some cases, they may slip into the duct of the pancreas and lead to pancreatitis as well. Even if the stones pass out, new stones will continue to form in the gallbladder.