Conclusion
GALLSTONE DISEASE
In the short term (<18 months), conservative management, as an alternative to surgery, may be effective and cost effective for patients with uncomplicated symptomatic gallstone disease.We conclude that the costs and benefits will continue to be incurred in both groups beyond 24 months, so future research should focus on long term follow-up data to establish lifetime cost effectiveness and aid identification of the cohort of patients who will benefit from surgery.