# Controversial Surgical Approach to Recurrent Gallstone Ileus

## TL;DR

This paper discusses a case where an elderly patient had recurring gallstone ileus, requiring two surgeries to remove gallstones causing intestinal blockage.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in presenting a rare clinical case of recurrent gallstone ileus and its management in an elderly patient.

## Key findings

- A 90-year-old patient experienced gallstone ileus and required two surgeries due to recurrence.
- The case highlights the challenges in managing gallstone ileus in elderly patients.
- Recurrent symptoms after initial treatment emphasize the need for careful post-operative monitoring.

## Abstract

Gallstone ileus is a rare but potentially serious complication of gallstone disease, which presents as a mechanical intestinal obstruction due to impaction and fistulization of a gallstone, most commonly in the small intestine. Since it usually occurs in elderly patients, the symptoms can be very diverse and with a late presentation.

We present the case of a 90-year-old patient with intestinal obstruction and acute abdominal pain who experienced gallstone ileus and underwent surgery, and a few days after being discharged returned with a recurrence of the symptoms, was re-operated, and a second stone was found.