New Development in Gallstone Removal (Cholecystectomy)

Gallstones are hard, pebble-like deposits that form inside the gallbladder. Gallstones may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. There are many causes for gallstones and are more common in women, Native Americans, Hispanics, and people over age 40. Gallstones may also run in families

For more than 100 years, the traditional treatment for the painful growths of gallstones has been the removal of the gallbladder, or cholecystectomy. But a new device, patented in China, promises to make removing the entire organ unnecessary. A group of scientists from the Second People's Hospital of Panyu District and Central South University in China have developed an endoscope specially designed for locating and clearing out gallstones and other gallbladder lesions.