Q: I was diagnosed with a polyp in my gall bladder. The polyp is 8 mm and my doctor says that there is no cause to worry an just regular monitoring of the polyp is required. But I have heard that the only option in these type of cases is the removal of the gall bladder. What are the implications of this procedure? How difficult is this procedure? I would like to know if it would be wise to go in for a surgery at this stage. My age is 25 years, weight is 152 pounds.

A:You have been diagnosed to have a polyp in your gall bladder 8 mm in size, and you have been advised to have it monitored regularly and that there is no need for removal of the gall bladder. Small polyps do not require surgery unless they are symptomatic.Polyps more than 1 cm in size have malignant potential and should therefore be operated upon. Since your polyp is 8 mm in size, I do understand why your doctor has suggested that there is no need for surgery. However, my own inclination would be to have this operated upon. Removal of the gall bladder will not affect your food habits or living habits and this operation is commonly done by most surgeons.