ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the feasibility and efficiency of laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) at early stage. Methods From January 2003 to June 2006, 18 patients with ABP received laparoscopic surgeries, including laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in 3, LC combined with laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) in 9, LC combined with opening of the pancreatic capsule for drainage in 5, and LC combined with LCBDE and opening of the pancreatic capsule for drainage in 1. Results In all the patients, the laparoscopic operations were completed successfully without conversion to open surgery. The operation time was 100-150 min with a mean of (115.3?15.2) min. The stones in the bile duct were removed completely by LCBDE in 10 patients. No subcutaneous emphysema, hemorrhage, abdominal abscess or stenosis of the bile duct occurred in this series. The 18 patients were followed up for 4-40 months (mean, 28.5 months), during which 2 patients developed pancreatic pseudocyst. One of the patients was cured by internal drainage. In the other patient, the pseudocyst was absorbed spontaneously. No recurrence of pancreatitis or common bile duct stones was found. Conclusions Laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive and effective for the treatment of ABP at early stage.