In the ward of Guangdong Clifford Hospital, David, who is recovering from surgery, looks out the window with a relaxed smile. A gallstone that had traveled across borders with him for years has finally come to the end of its journey here.

He had once assumed that removing the stone would involve prolonged pain and a lengthy recovery. Yet here, he found that stone extraction and gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) were completed smoothly through just a few small incisions. From fear to reassurance, this treatment has brought him heartfelt comfort

Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery Leaves the Trauma of Open Surgery Behind

David (pseudonym) has worked as a teacher in China for many years. Years ago, he underwent open surgery for acute appendicitis, which left a roughly 12-centimeter scar on his abdomen and left him with a lasting fear of surgery. For this reason, even though he knew he had gallstones and suffered frequent biliary colic, he postponed treatment for years. It was not until recently, when a stone lodged in his common bile duct and caused obstructive jaundice and unbearable pain, that he sought care at the General Surgery Department at Guangdong Clifford Hospital.

After evaluation, Professor Jian Zhixiang, Vice President of the hospital and Director of the General Surgery Center, said reassuringly, "We can resolve your problem with just a few tiny incisions. There's no need to worry." Though still skeptical, David chose to trust the professional team.

Following thorough preoperative preparation, the team performed laparoscopic common bile duct exploration with stone extraction and cholecystectomy, using intraoperative choledochoscopy to successfully remove the impacted stone. Unlike traditional open surgery, this technique requires only 0.5–1 cm small incisions in the abdomen, and the operation is performed under a magnified laparoscopic view and precision instruments.

During the procedure, the team carefully incised the common bile duct, explored the biliary tract via choledochoscopy, and retrieved the stone with a basket. The "large surgical incision" David had feared was replaced by several small incisions. This approach caused less trauma, less postoperative pain, and enabled faster recovery.

Comprehensive Language Support for a Seamless Care Experience

What delighted David even more was that the medical team checked on him regularly after surgery, even on weekends. This consistent attention and reassurance made him feel: "They didn't just treat my condition—they also eased my fear of surgery."

As an international patient, David initially worried about communication barriers. "When I arrived at the emergency department, I would have been completely lost without an interpreter." At Clifford Hospital, however, this concern was thoughtfully addressed. The hospital's International, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Customer Service Center provides comprehensive English-language support throughout the patient's medical journey, helping facilitate communication between patients and healthcare providers while also easing patients' anxiety.

What impressed David even more was the hospital's efficiency. "In my home country, booking a CT or MRI scan can take weeks. But here, I completed the examination and received a detailed report on the same day." This efficiency is backed not only by the hospital's advanced medical equipment, but also by its patient-centered approach and streamlined clinical workflows. The seamless coordination of examination, diagnosis and treatment greatly reduces patients' anxiety and discomfort during waiting periods.

During recovery, David often took walks and enjoyed the sunshine in the sky garden on the hospital's sixth floor. As his physical condition improved day by day, so did his spirits. For him, this medical experience was not only a cure for his illness, but also a new appreciation of China's advanced medical technology and compassionate, patient-centered care.

Gallstones: When to Seek Medical Attention

Gallstones have a prevalence of approximately 10% in China. According to Professor Jian Zhixiang, gallstones are classified by location into intrahepatic bile duct stones and extrahepatic bile duct stones. Extrahepatic bile duct stones are further divided into gallbladder stones, common bile duct stones, and hepatic duct stones (including the left and right hepatic ducts and the common hepatic duct). Not all gallstones require surgery, but the following situations warrant prompt medical attention:

1. Symptomatic gallbladder stones

    Patients experiencing recurrent biliary colic, acute cholecystitis, or other symptoms.

2. Asymptomatic gallbladder stones with high-risk features

• Multiple stones with a diameter of ≥2–3 cm;
• A calcified gallbladder wall ("porcelain gallbladder");
• Gallbladder polyps measuring ≥1 cm;
• Gallbladder wall thickening (>3 mm), suggesting chronic cholecystitis.

3. Gallbladder stones with a high risk of complications

    Stones that migrate into the common bile duct, placing patients at increased risk of obstructive jaundice, cholangitis, or pancreatitis.

4. Stones in the common bile duct, left or right hepatic ducts, or common hepatic duct

    Stones that are unlikely to pass spontaneously and carry risks of biliary obstruction and infection.

5. Intrahepatic bile duct stones accompanied by the following conditions

• Recurrent abdominal pain, chills, high fever, or obstructive jaundice;
• Severe complications such as liver abscess, biliary hemorrhage, biliary cirrhosis with portal hypertension, or cholangiocarcinoma;
• Stones causing irreversible localized liver damage, such as focal liver atrophy.

Currently, laparoscopic surgery has become one of the standard treatments for gallstones. For patients with gallbladder stones without concurrent common bile duct stones, the condition can even be managed using single-incision laparoscopic surgery. For patients like David who have both gallbladder stones and common bile duct stones, the combination of laparoscopic surgery and choledochoscopy allows both conditions to be treated in a single minimally invasive procedure.