Gallstones affect around 10-15% of the population and most cause no symptoms. Where symptoms occur, the typical finding is attacks of pain starting in the upper right abdomen after a fatty meal and radiating to the back. Treatment is laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder together with its stones; patients are usually discharged the same or the following day. Silent stones are generally kept under observation.
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ sitting beneath the liver. Its job is to store the bile produced by the liver and, when a fatty meal is eaten, to contract and empty that bile into the small intestine. When the balance of cholesterol, bile salts and bilirubin in bile is disturbed, stones form inside the gallbladder. Around 10-15 per cent of the population has gallstones; the majority cause no symptoms at all. This article answers the questions most often asked by patients in Mersin for whom gallbladder surgery has come up.
Why Do Gallstones Form?
The risk factors are traditionally taught as the "5 Fs": female, forty, overweight, fertile and family history. In addition:
- Rapid weight loss and prolonged fasting diets
- A high-fat, low-fibre diet
- Diabetes and metabolic syndrome
- Certain blood disorders and liver cirrhosis
- Oral contraceptives and hormone therapy
Symptoms
The classic symptom is an attack of pain known as biliary colic. This pain:
- Is felt in the upper right or upper middle abdomen
- May radiate to the back and beneath the right shoulder blade
- Usually starts after a fatty meal, often in the evening or at night
- Lasts from 30 minutes to a few hours
- May be accompanied by nausea and vomiting
Bloating, indigestion and wind may also occur, but these are not specific to gallstones.
Symptoms requiring urgent assessment:
- Severe abdominal pain lasting more than six hours and not settling
- Fever and shivering (cholecystitis, inflammation of the gallbladder)
- Yellowing of the eyes and skin, dark urine, pale stools (bile duct obstruction)
- Severe pain radiating to the back with persistent vomiting (pancreatitis)
Does Every Gallstone Need Surgery?
No. Silent gallstones causing no symptoms are generally observed; most of these patients never develop a problem. Surgery is recommended when:
- Attacks of biliary colic are occurring
- There has been an episode of cholecystitis
- Stone-related pancreatitis has developed
- A stone has passed into the bile duct
- There is a polyp in the gallbladder, particularly if larger than 1 cm
- A calcified "porcelain" gallbladder is found, because of the cancer risk
- Conditions such as diabetes raise the risk of complications, subject to medical assessment
Can stones be broken up? Unlike kidney stones, lithotripsy (ESWL) is not routinely used for gallstones. Medication to dissolve stones achieves partial success only in highly selected cases after months of treatment, and stones often re-form once it is stopped. The lasting solution for gallstones is removal of the gallbladder together with its stones.
Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery
Keyhole (laparoscopic) cholecystectomy is today the gold standard treatment for gallstones. Under general anaesthesia, three or four small openings are made in the abdominal wall; using a camera and specialised instruments the gallbladder, bile duct and feeding artery are identified and the gallbladder is removed in its entirety. The operation takes 45 to 60 minutes on average.
Most patients are discharged the same or the following day and return to daily life within a few days. Where there are adhesions, advanced inflammation or anatomical difficulty, the operation may be completed by converting to the open method for safety; this is not a complication but a sound surgical decision.
What Happens Once the Gallbladder Is Removed?
This is the question asked most often. The gallbladder is a reservoir; the organ that produces bile is the liver, and bile production continues after the gallbladder is removed. Bile now flows continuously and directly into the intestine rather than being stored. As a result:
- Most patients return to normal eating after a period
- Avoiding very fatty and fried foods and keeping meals small and frequent for the first four to six weeks makes the adjustment easier
- A group of patients experience diarrhoea after fatty meals in the first months; this usually lessens with time
Recovery After Surgery
- First 24 hours: standing up, starting on liquids
- Days 2-3: normal walking, light low-fat diet
- Week 1: return to desk-based work is usually possible
- Weeks 3-4: gradual return to heavy lifting and sport
Shoulder pain caused by the carbon dioxide gas is common in the first days and resolves on its own. Contact your doctor in case of fever, redness or discharge at the wounds, jaundice or worsening abdominal pain.
Experience in Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery
Gallbladder and biliary tract disease is among Op. Dr. Ersan Semerci's registered areas of interest. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the operation for which the keyhole approach is most widely used in general surgery, and he has been performing it since the early years of his career. To date he has successfully completed more than 5,000 laparoscopic cholecystectomies.
- Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is among his registered services
- Liver and biliary tract surgery, common bile duct stones and biliary strictures
- Laparoscopic Solid Organ Surgery Course, Gazi University, Ankara (2011)
- Work in advanced endoscopic procedures, including ERCP
One patient review on DoktorTakvimi.com about gallbladder surgery reads: "His attention throughout the whole process was excellent. The operation went without a hitch and I recovered very quickly."
Op. Dr. Ersan Semerci has practised in Mersin since 2010 and currently works at Medicalpark Mersin Hospital. Consultations and operations in Biliary Surgery are carried out at this hospital. Patients travelling from Mersin and neighbouring provinces can book via WhatsApp.
Book on WhatsAppCan gallstones be dissolved with medication?
Partial success can be achieved in small cholesterol stones of particular characteristics after months of drug treatment. However, this is not suitable for every stone and stones often re-form once treatment stops. The lasting solution is removal of the gallbladder.
Do I need to follow a diet after my gallbladder is removed?
A strict lifelong diet is not required. Avoiding very fatty and fried foods for the first four to six weeks and then eating a balanced diet is sufficient. Most patients return to normal eating over time.
Can a keyhole operation become an open one?
Yes. Where there are dense adhesions, advanced inflammation or the anatomy cannot be clearly seen, the surgeon may convert to the open method, prioritising safety. This is not a failure but the correct decision to avoid bile duct injury.
I have stones but no symptoms. Should I have surgery?
Stones causing no symptoms at all are usually observed. However, additional conditions such as diabetes, numerous small stones or the presence of a gallbladder polyp may change the decision. This assessment should be made with your doctor.
Will there be a scar?
With the keyhole method a few scars of 0.5-1 cm remain and these fade markedly over time. The scar in the navel is usually not noticeable at all.
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Answers to the most common questions about appointments, the hospital, treatment scope and surgical experience are in the FAQ section on the home page.
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For Gallstones and related symptoms you can book an appointment at Medicalpark Mersin Hospital. Mezitli / Mersin, Turkey, weekdays 09:00-17:00.
WhatsApp: +90 542 236 05 33Disclaimer. This article is provided for general information only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or a treatment recommendation, and it is not a substitute for examination, diagnosis and treatment by a physician. The content is not tailored to any individual and is not intended as advertising. Do not start, change or stop any treatment on the basis of the information here. Consult your own doctor about any decision concerning your health and see a healthcare provider about your symptoms. The site owner accepts no liability for any consequences arising from use of this content. Last updated: 2026-08-07.