Anyone NOT had surgery for Gallstones?

[Labradorsmum]

Had an ultrasound recently and, as I expected, I have Gallstones. Have had three ‘episodes’ in three years- it was only the last one (a few weeks ago) which was painful enough to make me see the G.P and be referred for the scan. Already following a low(ish) fat diet (although thought I ate healthily anyway), peppermint tea and occasionally digestive enzymes before meals- may be thinking too far ahead here but it seems surgery is the only treatment option? Had any one successfully followed a ‘watch and wait’ option and avoided surgery?

Thanks all. It’s still early days as I had the scan so recently, my GP hasn't received the official report yet but I was verbally told by the radiologist who performed the scan I did have gallstones. I’m not bothered about the actual surgery (healthcare professional myself), it’s more losing an organ when obviously we have a gallbladder for a reason. I’ll be guided by what the GP and consultant I assume I’ll be referred to say, but it seems the overriding consensus from those of you who have been there is watching and waiting isn’t worth the risk.

My gallstones were discovered about 20 years ago. I was admitted to hospital with acute abdominal pain. I was taken to theatre to have my gall bladder removed, except when I got there they discovered that my gall bladder was OK but I had a ruptured appendix! So 20 years later I still have my gall bladder complete with gall stones. It has never given me any problems.

Mild gallstones you probably could wait and see how it goes but gallstones can turn to serious illnesses quickly

Gallstones nearly killed my sister when she was a teenager she had had them undiagnosed for about 3 years before the determine that her stomach pain was due to gallstones. She was having fortnightly trips to a and e due to stomach pain at the time. They were only diagnosed when she developed sepsis and acute pancreatitis and given 50:50 odds of surviving the night. She lost a lot of weight due to the gallstones and was very underweight. Since having her gallbladder removed 15 years ago she has been able to maintain a normal weight, has had no issues with pain and as long as she doesn't eat anything super high in fat she's fine but the consequences of eating things high in fat isn't sufficient to stop her doing so!

My mum developed gallstones too and hers moved to her liver and she became jaundice and very unwell. She was recovering from another stomach surgery otherwise they would have removed her gallbladder immediately instead they did it 8 weeks later. This was her first acknowledged gallstones attack but had pre-existing condition causing a lot of pain in the same area as the gallbladder so we don't know how much this was masking gallbladder attacks