Gallstone disease: diagnosis and management

Treating gallstones in the bile duct

Gallstones should always be removed if they are in the bile duct. Normally, an endoscopy (inserting a thin, flexible tube down your throat to perform surgery inside your body) is used to remove the gallstones in your bile duct, and keyhole surgery is used to remove your gallbladder. The endoscopy may happen at the same time as the surgery or at a different time. You may be offered keyhole surgery to remove both the stones and the gallbladder instead. Your doctor will talk to you about what is involved and how long you need to stay in hospital.

Sometimes gallstones in the bile duct can't be removed with an endoscopy. If this is the case, you should be offered a procedure to help fluids drain out of your bile duct. This should happen at the same time as the endoscopy. This procedure should only be used until the gallstones can be removed completely.