Gallstones (cholelithiasis)

Gallstones are formed from bile excretions from your child's liver.

Here's how it happens:

• The liver normally produces bile.
• It drains into the first part of the small intestine where it aids in digestion.
• It is stored in the gallbladder between meals.
• Crystals can form when the bile is stored, and as the crystals grow, they form gallstones.

Less pain, faster recovery

Surgeons at Boston Children's Hospital's General Surgery Program are dedicated to treating your child and helping her get better faster. If your child is diagnosed with gallstones, we'll use a minimally invasive procedure called a laparoscopic cholecystectomy to remove your child's gall bladder.

This surgery allows your child to go home the next day and results in considerably less scarring and pain than traditional open surgery.