Waiting for treatment

One of the major problems faced by people with gallstones is long waits for treatment. The wait time can be different for different hospitals.

If your GP refers you, they might give you an idea of the waiting times at nearby hospitals.

Find out more about choosing where to have treatment.

You can also find waiting times online. Look for the gastroenterology department. This will give you the average waiting times for the department.

If you live in England : NHS My Planned Care.

If you live in Scotland: Public health Scotland

If you live in Northern Ireland there is limited information: Health and social care Northern Ireland

While you are waiting you could:

• If you work, think about talking to your employer about support and time off for appointments
• ask the medical team about pain relief options
• try to work out if any types of food are a trigger for pain so you can reduce or avoid them
• try to gradually lose some weight if you are overweight
• keep active to make sure you are as well as possible for the operation
• Talk to friends and family who have also had gallstones, they may have helpful advice or know more about treatment in your area.

Always see a doctor about symptoms of a serious complication. Or if the pain is very severe or affecting everyday life. Even if you are already waiting for treatment.

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Will the gallstones come back?

If someone has:

Had gallstone pain, but not had treatment:

• • It might come back again in the future. But this does not happen to everyone.

Had treatment to remove a gallstone from the bile ducts:

• • the problem could come back again in the future. Doctors will probably recommend an operation to remove the gallbladder.

Had surgery to remove the gallbladder:

• • the gallstones will not come back. There is nowhere for them to grow.

Go back to the doctor if there is still pain after the gallbladder has been removed. It could be that something else is causing the pain. So more tests are needed to find out.

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Diet after gallstone surgery

People can eat normally after having gallstone surgery.

Try to stick to a healthy balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables. There are no specific foods everyone should eat lots of. And there is no good evidence that any supplements help.

There are also no specific foods that everyone should avoid. But try to limit highly processed foods. Keep foods high in salt, sugar or fat as an occasional treat not an everyday food.

Find out more about eating, drinking and keeping active

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