Question
Hello doctor,
I have had gallstones for about 12 months. The largest stone diameter is 12 mm. I saw in the newspaper that the hospital can crush stones without surgery. So can you tell me if it is possible to crush gallstones of 12 mm in size? I am a male, 46 years old.
Thank you,
Anonymous Customer
Answer
Answered by Master, Doctor Dao Duc Dung - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.
Hello,
With the question "Can gallstones of 12mm be crushed?", the doctor would like to answer as follows:
Gallstones are classified into 3 main groups including intrahepatic bile duct stones, common bile duct stones, and gallbladder stones.
In your case, you are likely referring to gallstones, which can be one or multiple stones, with the largest one being 12mm. Generally, gallstones are recommended to be treated surgically when tymptoms and/or gallbladder inflammation. If there is no acute cholecystitis, non-surgical options, such as percutaneous gallstone lithotripsy, can be considered. However, lithotripsy can only be performed if the gallbladder's function is still good, there are no special anatomical abnormalities (such as a double-chambered gallbladder), and there are no accompanying cholesterol metabolism disorders.
Therefore, you should visit the hospital for a consultation to assess the possibility of performing gallstone lithotripsy. If you meet the criteria, this technique can be carried out.
If you still have questions about 12mm gallstone lithotripsy, you can go to a hospital in the Vinmec Health System for further examination and consultation. Thank you for your inquiry.
Sincerely!
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