Has anyone tried the ultrasound and Ursodiol route? What was it like and how’d it go for you?

I (until now a healthy and very fit 37M) understand that removal/cholecystectomy is the only definite treatment, but, I’m just averse to surgery, esp. one that requires the permanent removal of an organ (no matter how non-essential it may be or thankful I am for the option in the modern world and that it would be laparoscopic). Being generally a fan of limited surgical intervention and after some review of primary literature on the non-mortality impact of gallbladder removal, namely the possibilities for chronic diarrhea, some implication in colon cancer from the poorer regulation of bile, and the possibility for bile acid reflux, I’d like to hear from people who went this route before making a decision. I’ll also consult with the surgeon I am meeting soon, but, they probably don’t have to live with the consequences of not having a gallbladder, many people here do.

How quickly did you have relief, if at all, and what was the process like? My research was that something like 30% of people who go the non-surgical route have a recurrence within 5 years, and 50-70% after 12 years (although I’d be curious how many strictly maintained their ursodiol regimen and esp. diet after that point). Were those a good few years? Did you have warning or symptoms before they came back? Were they worse the second time around?