saudigastro.com/patients/gallbladder-polyps
Category
Common
Red flags
4
This article is educational and does not replace your doctor's advice. Seek urgent care for any red-flag symptoms.
What is it?
A gallbladder polyp is a small bump or growth that sticks out from the lining of the gallbladder, the pouch under the liver that stores bile (a digestive fluid). Most polyps are cholesterol polyps, which are small deposits of fat in the lining and are not cancer. Others are inflammatory polyps or benign (non-cancerous) growths. A small number are true tumours called adenomas, which can in rare cases turn into cancer over time. An ultrasound often cannot tell which type a polyp is, so doctors use size and other features to decide what to do.
How common is it?
Polyps are found in a small proportion of adults who have an abdominal ultrasound, mostly by chance. The great majority are small and harmless.
Why does it happen?
The exact cause is not always known. Cholesterol polyps are linked to how the body handles fats in bile. Inflammatory polyps may follow long-standing irritation of the gallbladder. Factors linked with a higher chance of a concerning polyp include older age, a single larger polyp, rapid growth, gallstones, primary sclerosing cholangitis (a scarring disease of the bile ducts) and in some regions certain ethnic backgrounds.
Symptoms
- Usually no symptoms at all
- Occasional pain in the upper right belly, which may in fact come from gallstones that are also present
- Nausea or discomfort after fatty meals in some people
- Rarely, jaundice if a polyp or tumour blocks the bile flow
Red flags — seek urgent medical care
Severe upper belly pain with fever
May mean gallbladder inflammation from stones. Go to the emergency department.
Yellow skin or eyes, dark urine or pale stools
Suggests blocked bile flow. Needs prompt medical assessment, urgent if you also have fever.
Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
Needs medical review to look for a serious cause, including gallbladder disease.
A polyp that has grown on follow-up scans
Growth is a reason for your doctor to consider removal of the gallbladder.
How is it diagnosed?
Polyps are usually found on ultrasound. Your doctor looks at the size, number and shape of the polyp, whether it has a stalk, and whether gallstones are present. An endoscopic ultrasound (a camera-ultrasound passed through the mouth to look at the gallbladder closely) or contrast-enhanced ultrasound, CT or MRI may be used when the picture is unclear. Blood tests help check your general and liver health. A polyp cannot be biopsied easily, so the decision usually rests on imaging features.
What the latest science says
Guidelines in recent years have refined the size thresholds at which removal is advised, and generally recommend removing the gallbladder for polyps above a certain size, for growing polyps, and for polyps in people with additional risk factors. Smaller polyps are usually followed with periodic ultrasound. Your doctor will apply the approach that fits your situation.
Outlook — what to expect
For most people the outlook is excellent. Small polyps often stay unchanged for years. If the gallbladder is removed, the polyp problem is resolved and most people live normally without it.
Treatment
Habits & Lifestyle
There is no way to shrink polyps with lifestyle changes, but healthy habits support overall gallbladder health.
- Keep all follow-up ultrasound appointments
- Aim for a healthy weight; avoid crash diets
- Stay physically active
- Know the warning signs listed above and report them promptly
Diet
No special diet treats polyps, but a balanced diet is sensible.
- Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and whole grains
- Limit heavily fried and processed fatty foods
- Keep meals regular and moderate in size
Medications
There is no medicine that removes gallbladder polyps.
- Medicines are not used to treat the polyp itself
- If you have gallstone pain, your doctor may advise a suitable pain reliever
- Avoid herbal "gallbladder cleanses"; they are not proven to help and may be harmful
Procedures & Surgery
The decision is between watching with repeat scans and removing the gallbladder.
- Small polyps with no worrying features are followed with ultrasound at intervals your doctor sets
- Removal of the gallbladder (usually by keyhole surgery) is advised for larger polyps, growing polyps, or when symptoms or gallstones are present
- Your surgeon will discuss the benefits and risks with you before any operation
Questions to ask your doctor
Save this list or print it before your appointment — doctors appreciate prepared patients.
- How big is my polyp, and is it a size that needs surgery?
- How often do I need follow-up scans, and for how long?
- Do I have other risk factors that change the advice?
- What symptoms should make me contact you sooner?
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Status: Approved for publication by SGA; individual clinician review is ongoing · Published 24/04/2026
For general education only; it does not replace your doctor’s advice. Individual clinician review of this guide is ongoing. SGA clinician? Review this guide