Background
The standard treatment for gallstones to avoid risk of gallbladder attacks or other complications is to remove the gallbladder. The removal of gallstones is deemed futile because gallstones just return (if there is no change in diet).

Aims
To remove the gallstones and not the gallbladder to avoid possible side effects or ongoing discomfort from gallbladder removal.

Methods
An alternative surgical procedure exists to just remove the gallstones which have been proven clinically which, despite being of a higher degree of difficulty, can produce superior results if it is combined with a strict change in diet by the patient to avoid the return of gallstones after their removal.

Results
A previous paper concludes: ‘Gallstones were completely cleared in 66 (81 percent) patients and complete symptom relief was obtained in more than 95 percent of these patients. There were no deaths or serious complications.’

Conclusion
A viable pathway to removal of gallstones using a modified cholecystoscope exists rather than removal of the gallbladder providing that a strict diet change (possibly aided by medication) is implemented to avoid recurrence of gallstones.