After surgery to remove gallstones, many patients think they are completely cured. But in fact, up to 50% of patients with gallstones survive or recur after 3 to 5 years of surgery. Particularly with gallstones, the time to relapse is earlier, maybe only a few months after treatment.

Gallstones are stones that form inside the gallbladder or biliary tract. The risk of developing gallstones increases with age or with people who have a high-fat diet. In some cases, advanced gallstone disease can cause severe symptoms and require cholecystectomy.