Is endoscopy painful?

No. With sedation given by our anaesthesia team, the procedure is comfortable and most patients remember nothing. A local throat spray numbs the passage, and the scope is thinner than a finger.

How soon will I get my endoscopy report?

You receive a printed report with photographs the same day, explained to you before discharge. Biopsy results typically arrive in 2–4 days.

Can endoscopy detect stomach cancer?

Yes. Modern high-definition endoscopy can detect very early cancers and pre-cancerous changes that scans miss. Any suspicious area is biopsied immediately during the procedure.

How often should varices be checked?

Patients with cirrhosis or portal hypertension typically need endoscopic surveillance every 6–12 months depending on findings. Dr. Srinivas Bojanapu prepares an individualised surveillance calendar for each patient.

What is the difference between endoscopy and colonoscopy?

Endoscopy examines the upper digestive tract (food pipe, stomach, duodenum) through the mouth; colonoscopy examines the large intestine through the rectum. Both are sedated day-care procedures done at Dhaara.

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Gallstone Symptoms: When Is Surgery Needed?

Most gallstones sit silently, but when one blocks a duct the pain is unmistakable. Here is how the different attacks feel, which ones are emergencies, and why surgery is the standard answer for symptomatic stones.

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Dhaara Speciality Hospital, Yelahanka

61 Jakkur Road, Yelahanka, Bengaluru 560064

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Gallstones as seen after gallbladder removal — Symptomatic gallstones are the usual reason gallbladder surgery is advised.

Key Takeaways

Silent gallstones found on scans usually need no treatment — only observation and advice.
Repeated biliary colic (pain after fatty meals, right upper abdomen, lasting 1–5 hours) is the usual reason surgery is advised.
Fever with the pain suggests cholecystitis (inflamed gallbladder) — this needs same-day medical care.
Yellow eyes, dark urine or pale stools mean a stone may be in the bile duct — urgent assessment and often an ERCP first.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (keyhole gallbladder removal) is the standard treatment for symptomatic gallstones.

Gallstones are hardened deposits. They form in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small pouch. It sits under the liver. It stores bile. Gallstones are very common. Many people have them. They do not know this. Problems start when a stone blocks. It blocks the gallbladder outlet. Or it blocks a bile duct. The blockage pattern matters. It decides care urgency.

The Five Patterns of Gallstone Disease

Pattern	Typical experience	What it means
Silent stones	Found incidentally on a scan; no symptoms	Usually no treatment; discuss with a doctor
Biliary colic	Sharp cramping pain in the right upper abdomen after heavy/fatty meals; lasts minutes to a few hours, then settles; nausea common	Surgical opinion advised — attacks tend to recur
Cholecystitis	Pain lasting more than 5–6 hours, fever, vomiting, tenderness on the right side	Inflamed gallbladder — same-day hospital care, then surgery
Bile duct stone (jaundice)	Yellowing of eyes/skin, dark urine, pale stools, often with pain	Urgent care — often an ERCP to clear the duct before surgery
Gallstone pancreatitis	Severe pain boring through to the back with vomiting	Emergency admission

Seek Emergency Care Immediately If There Is:

Emergency Indicators

Abdominal pain with fever and chills
Yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine
Pain lasting more than 6 hours without relief
Repeated vomiting with severe upper abdominal pain
Confusion or drowsiness with any of the above

Plan a Consultation Soon If

You have had repeated short attacks of right-upper pain after meals
A scan has shown stones and you get occasional discomfort
You are pregnant or diabetic and have symptomatic stones
Gallstones run in your family and you want advice

Dhaara Speciality Hospital is in Yelahanka. It runs emergency services 24/7. Call 87478 74666. Go to the gallbladder surgery page. It is for planned opinions. It explains the operation in detail.

How Gallstones Are Confirmed

Ultrasound scan — the standard first test; it detects most gallstones reliably. Our ultrasound facility does this as an outpatient procedure.
Liver function blood tests — to check whether a stone is affecting the bile ducts.
MRCP or ERCP — detailed imaging (or treatment) of the bile duct when a duct stone is suspected. Read about ERCP at Dhaara.

Why Surgery Is the Standard Advice for Symptomatic Stones

Your gallbladder is removed. It is not just the stones. Sick gallbladders grow new stones. Medicines do not dissolve stones. Diets do not flush stones. Waiting between attacks is risky. It can cause cholecystitis. It can cause a duct stone. It can cause pancreatitis. The operation is laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is a common keyhole procedure. It is done worldwide. Small cuts are used. You often stay one day. Or you stay one night. You eat normal food quickly. Your surgeon will check your case. They will confirm timing for you.

Read our guide. Do this after your surgery. It is about your gallbladder. You had it removed. Read about diet stages. See how digestion changes. Learn about recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can gallstones be treated without surgery?

Silent stones that never cause symptoms are usually left alone. For stones that cause pain, medications or flushes do not provide a reliable cure, and surgery to remove the gallbladder is the standard, definitive treatment. Your surgeon will advise based on your scan findings and symptoms.

How long does gallbladder removal surgery take?

A routine laparoscopic cholecystectomy typically takes about 45 minutes to an hour of operating time. Including anaesthesia preparation and recovery, plan for a half-day at the hospital, with discharge the same evening or next morning in most cases.

Is it dangerous to leave gallstones untreated?

Symptomatic stones tend to cause repeated attacks and can lead to complications such as cholecystitis, bile duct stones or pancreatitis. If you have symptoms, discuss timely surgery; if your stones are silent, your doctor may simply advise observation.

What food triggers gallbladder attacks?

Attacks classically follow heavy, fried or fatty meals, because fat triggers the gallbladder to contract. Individual triggers vary — keeping a simple food diary around attacks helps your doctor counsel you.

Will I need ERCP before gallbladder surgery?

Only if there is evidence that a stone has moved into the bile duct — suggested by jaundice or abnormal liver tests. ERCP clears the duct, and the gallbladder is then usually removed during the same admission or shortly after.

Talk to Dhaara — reachable 24×7

Call 9am?9pm within 2 minutes. After hours, every WhatsApp lands in our staff queue with an auto-callback.

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Gastroenterology

GI & Laparoscopic Surgery

Liver & HPB Surgery

Women's Health

Gallstone Symptoms: When Is Surgery Needed?

Key Takeaways

The Five Patterns of Gallstone Disease

Seek Emergency Care Immediately If There Is:

Emergency Indicators

Plan a Consultation Soon If

How Gallstones Are Confirmed

Why Surgery Is the Standard Advice for Symptomatic Stones

Frequently Asked Questions

Talk to Dhaara — reachable 24×7

Treatment & Procedure Pages

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Yelahanka

Appendix Surgery (Appendectomy)

GERD & Nissen Fundoplication

Related Patient Guides

Life After Gallbladder Removal

Preparing for Surgery

Get help before your op