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Management of Gallstones in the Aged †
Author(s) -
Ratner Jack T.,
Rosenberg Gilbert M.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1975.tb00315.x
Subject(s) - gallstones , medicine , gallbladder , cholesterol , gallbladder disease , general surgery , surgery
Calculous gallbladder disease is the most common indication for intra‐abdominal surgery in the elderly. Feeding bile salts may possibly increase the solubility of cholesterol in bile and may cause diminution in the size of radiolucent gallstones, the principal ingredient of which is cholesterol. However, indications for such treatment are still not clear, and long‐term effectiveness and safety still have to be evaluated. If the aged patient with gallstones has severe symptoms, is a good medical risk and is not demented, surgical treatment should not be denied because of advanced age. If the patient has “silent” or “dyspeptic” gallstones and is a poor risk or demented, surgical therapy should be postponed at least temporarily, in the hope that medical methods for dissolving gallstones soon will be perfected.