Is cholelethiasis surgery the only solution for gallstones?

Surgery is not the only solution for gallstones, states WebMD. Doctors prescribe ursodiol and chenodiol medication for patients who are not good candidates for gallbladder surgery. The medicines work by dissolving the cholelethiasis, or gallstones, over time.

Patients may need to continue taking ursodiol and chenodiol for years before the stones are dissolved, notes WebMD. The stones may also return if the patient stops taking the medicine. Cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal surgery, is usually the preferred method of gallstone removal. Surgical options consist of laparoscopic gallbladder surgery or open gallbladder surgery. Of the two, the laparoscopic method is less invasive and more common.