Dear Madam,
Your ultrasound shows a gallstone measuring approximately 13.3 mm. At present, since you do not have any symptoms, there is no immediate urgency for surgery.
It is important to understand that once a gallstone has formed, there is no proven or reliable medical (non-surgical) treatment available to dissolve it. Therefore, surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy) remains the only definitive treatment.
That said, in patients like you who are completely asymptomatic, it is reasonable to defer surgery and adopt a watchful waiting approach, provided you are well-informed about the possible future risks.
If symptoms develop, they can vary in severity, such as:
Mild symptoms: upper abdominal pain, especially after meals, nausea, or vomiting (suggestive of cholecystitis)
More serious complications: such as acute pancreatitis, which can be severe
Smaller stones are more likely to migrate and cause blockage, leading to complications like pancreatitis. In your case, the stone is relatively larger, and such stones are less likely to pass into the bile duct, unless the cystic duct is unusually wide.
Whenever you decide to proceed, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the standard treatment. It is a safe, commonly performed, minimally invasive procedure with a quick recovery time and excellent outcomes.
Answered2026-03-31 15:16:38
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