Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice for symptomatic gallstones. It should also be considered for selected patients with asymptomatic gallstones.

摘要

Gallstones cause significant morbidity in Western societies. Symptomatic attacks requiring hospital admission have a major economic impact in terms of lost working days and costs to the overall health budget. In Australia, more than 50,000 cholecystectomies are performed annually. With the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the early 1990s, the number of elective cholecystectomies increased as patients sought the benefits of minimal postoperative pain and early recovery compared with an open operation. This article discusses the causes, presenting symptoms, investigations and management options for patients with gallstones. Terms used to describe biliary symptoms and pathology are also precisely defined as these are frequently misused in the medical literature.