Fortnightly Review: The treatment of gall stones

BMJ 1995;311:99-105 (8 July)

Education and debate

N Tait, senior lecturer,^a J M Little, professor ^a

^a University of Sydney Department of Surgery, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia 2145

Correspondence to: Mr Tait.

Summary points

Gall stones are the commonest digestive cause of hospital admission in Western societies
Upper abdominal pain is the commonest presenting symptom and abdominal ultrasound scanning the most cost effective diagnostic tool
The principles of treatment and patient selec- tion have not been changed by laparoscopic surgery
Asymptomatic gall stones uncommonly warrant intervention
Symptomatic gall stones are best treated by removal of the stones and by elimination of the risk of recurrence

Treatment of gall stones: A G Lim and R P Jazrawi
BMJ 1995 311: 1091-1092. [Extract] [Full Text]

Rate of surgery for gall stones is increasing: Chi-Ming Lam, Alfred Cuschieri, and Frank E Murray
BMJ 1995 311: 1092. [Extract] [Full Text]

Lam, C.-M., Cuschieri, A., Murray, F. E (1995). Rate of surgery for gall stones is increasing. BMJ 311: 1092-1092 [Full text]
Lim, A G, Jazrawi, R P (1995). Treatment of gall stones. BMJ 311: 1091d-1092 [Full text]