I am posting on behalf of my mother.
She is 75 years old. For many years, maybe decades, she has had gallbladder stones. However, now, there are quite a few stones that are entering her liver. This is causing her serious pain.
She has two options:
1) Removal of the stones near the liver, via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This would be followed by laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder itself.
2) Non-laparoscopic removal of everything, the gallbladder and the stones near the liver.
My mother hates both options. She is concerned that the ERCP would expose her to too much radiation. And the non-laparoscopic removal of everything, would leave her with a tube sticking out of her body for a few weeks. I should mention that, two years ago, she fell and broke a femoral neck (in the hip area). She had surgery to repair that.
So, which option is safer for her? Just how much radiation will she experience during an ERCP?
Thank you for any assistance.