Gallstones — known medically as cholelithiasis — are solid deposits that form inside your gallbladder, a small pouch that sits under your liver. They're made up mainly of cholesterol or a substance called bilirubin. About 15% of Australian adults have them, and they're more common in women, with age, during pregnancy, and with obesity. The majority of people who have gallstones — roughly 80% — never have any trouble from them at all.
Most gallstones in Australia are cholesterol stones. Pigment stones are less common and are associated with certain blood conditions. Sometimes stones can travel from the gallbladder into the bile duct — the tube that carries bile from your liver into your bowel. When this happens (called choledocholithiasis), it can cause more serious problems and needs prompt attention.
Many people with gallstones have none at all. When symptoms do occur, they can include: biliary colic — severe cramping pain in your upper right tummy or the centre of your abdomen, often coming on after fatty meals and lasting anywhere from minutes to a few hours; acute cholecystitis — when the gallbladder itself becomes inflamed, causing persistent pain, fever, and tenderness; cholangitis — a serious infection of the bile duct, causing fever, yellowing of the skin (jaundice), and upper abdominal pain that needs urgent treatment; and pancreatitis — if a stone blocks the pancreatic duct, it can cause acute inflammation of the pancreas, which can be very painful and serious.
An ultrasound is the best first test if your doctor thinks you may have gallstones — it's quick, painless, and very accurate. If there's a concern that stones may have moved into the bile duct, further imaging may be needed. MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography — a type of MRI scan) shows the bile ducts in detail without any incisions or dye injections. ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) is a procedure where a flexible camera is used to look at and, if needed, remove stones from the bile duct — it's used when stones in the duct need treating, not just viewing.
If your gallstones aren't causing you any problems, you generally don't need to do anything about them. But if they're giving you pain or causing complications, the standard treatment is laparoscopic cholecystectomy — keyhole removal of the gallbladder. This is one of the most common operations performed in Australia. It's done through small incisions using a camera and instruments, which means less pain, a faster recovery, and usually just a day or one overnight stay in hospital. If stones have also moved into the bile duct, those are usually removed endoscopically (ERCP) before or after your gallbladder is taken out.
Mr Nguyen performs keyhole gallbladder removal (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) at Warringal Private Hospital and Epworth Eastern, usually as a day procedure or with one night in hospital. If your stones have also moved into the bile duct and you need an ERCP as well, he works closely with gastroenterology colleagues to make sure both things are sorted in a timely and coordinated way. Urgent cases — including acute cholecystitis — are always prioritised. If you're not sure how urgent your situation is, Mr Nguyen's rooms can help point you in the right direction.
If you're having repeated episodes of upper abdominal pain after meals, or if you develop a fever with right-sided tummy pain, yellowing of your skin or eyes (jaundice), or severe upper abdominal pain, please seek assessment urgently. These are signs that your gallstones may be causing a more serious problem that needs prompt attention.
Your GP will send a referral, usually with an ultrasound report confirming gallstones, and most patients are seen within one to two weeks. Urgent cases — anyone with acute cholecystitis, jaundice, or suspected stones in the bile duct — are prioritised and seen sooner. At the consultation, Mr Nguyen will review your symptoms and imaging, explain what the gallstones are doing, and discuss whether surgery is the right step for you.
If surgery is recommended, it is almost always a keyhole gallbladder removal (laparoscopic cholecystectomy), performed as a day case or with one night in hospital at Warringal Private Hospital or Epworth Eastern. Most people are back to light activities within a week and fully recovered within two to three weeks. A follow-up appointment is arranged a few weeks afterwards to confirm everything has healed well.
Yes — and very comfortably. The gallbladder stores bile, but your body can manage perfectly well without it. After surgery, bile flows directly from your liver into your bowel continuously. Most people eat a completely normal diet. Some notice slightly looser stools for a few weeks while their body adjusts, but this almost always settles.
For most people, no. While you're recovering in the first few weeks, it's sensible to go easy on very fatty or greasy foods. But long-term, most people return to eating normally without any restrictions at all.
Unfortunately not in any reliable or practical way for the vast majority of people. Medication isn't used in routine practice for gallstones. Surgery is the standard and most effective treatment when gallstones are causing problems.
Mr Ba Nguyen sees patients at his consulting rooms in Heidelberg and operates at Warringal Private Hospital and Epworth Eastern in Box Hill. To book an appointment, you'll need a referral from your GP or another specialist.