Method:
Twenty patients (8 men and 12 women) ranging from 25 to 55 years old by age with a mean of 40 years were included in the study. Clinically, all these patients had upper abdominal discomfort, indigestion, back and shoulder pains, and typical history of colicky pains, the longest course of disease being 14 years.
Diagnosis of gallstone was made clinically and ultrasonograph-ically for all the 20 patients, of whom one had postoperative recurrence (cholelithotomy), seven (35%) had associated diabetes mellitus, chronic cardiac, renal and pulmonary insufficiency. Six patients had sand like calculi granular ranged in size from 0±cm to 2±8cm. Two patients also had calculi of intrahepatic duct. There were strong spotty and light echoes in the right and left hepatic ducts, accompanied by sound shadows and comatic reflection, as was shown by ultrasonic imaging.
All the stones removed by the treatment, after being washed out from the feces, were sent to the laboratory for proof.
Examination:
The patients who had been fasted before examination were asked to lie flat and routinely examined on the upper abdomen, the liver and the gallbladder using an Aloka-SSD-620 real-time ultrasonic imager. The items of the examination included the intrahepatic duct, the size and morphology of the gallbladder and echoes from the internal gallbladder. When a stone was located, it was scanned from multiple directions, measuring its size and taking pictures of it.
Results:
Abdominal discomfort and back and shoulder pains markedly relieved in all the 20 patients, and colicky pains were relieved in a number of patients instantly they received emitted Qi treatment. Tiny stones were recovered at day 2-3, they were like sesames in size and different in color, black, yellow or white. Laboratory qualitative test revealed 16 cholesterol calculi and 3 mixed calculi.
Ultrasonic Diagnosis:
All the 20 cases were diagnosed as gallstones ultrasonographically. There was clinical evidence of stone removal in 19 patients, accounting for 95%. One case of postoperative scar was misdiagnosed as a stone. Ultrasound diagnostic accuracy was 95% against the qualitative test.
Ultrasonic Findings after Hai Hui Emitted Qi Treatment:
Change of the Gallbladder Wall: Gallstone disease is usually associated with acute or chronic inflammation. Before treatment, the gallbladder walls were found rough in all the 20 patients, comatic in 15 (75%) and thickened in 5 (25%). After treatment, the gallbladder walls became smooth in 18 patients (90%), and remained slightly thickened and rough in 2 (10%).
Effect on Bile: Ultrasound imaging before treatment revealed strong and weak light spots in 10 cases (50%), ropy bile in 5 (25%), and less transparent and turbid bile in 5 (25%). After Hai Hui Emitted Qi Treatment, ultrasonic imaging revealed clear and good acoustic bile in 19 cases (95%), and less transparent bile in one (5%).
Change in the Ultrasonic Imaging of the Stones: Of the 6 cases of sandlike caculi (30%) and 14 cases of granular calculi (70%), the stones disappeared in 9 cases (45%), including 6 sandlike cases and 3 granular cases, became smaller in one and reduced in number in one (10%), and remained unchanged in 6 (30%) including 2 cases (10%) where the stones became larger. In two patients who had calculi of intrahepatic duct, the number of stones reduced apparently in one, and remained unchanged in the other who had fibrous calcification of the biliary duct wall.
Discussion:
Ultrasonic follow-up surveillance of the 20 cases of this series confirmed removal of stones in 19 cases. Therapeutic effect was also observed in patients who had sand-like calculi accompanied by poor contraction of the gallbladder and complicated chronic cardiac, renal and pulmonary diseases (80%). Apart from its evident anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, the treatment also resulted in the change of the gallbladder walls.
Of the 20 patients, 15 had rough bladder walls and 5 had thickened walls before treatment. Re-examination after treatment with Qigong revealed smooth gallbladder walls in 18 cases (90%). The treatment also improved liver and gallbladder functions. Before treatment, strong and weak echoes were observed in 10 cases, ropy bile in 5 cases, and less transparent and turbid bile in 5 cases. Ultrasound examination after treatment demonstrated clear bile in 19 cases (95%), and turbid bile in one (5%).
It is concluded that Hai Hui Qigong is clinically effective in removing gallstones with satisfactory outcomes in most cases.
