ABSTRACT
Endoscopic followed by laparoscopic treatment of Mirizzi syndrome has been shown to be safe and effective. This technique was applied in 15 patients with Mirizzi syndrome. Ten patients had a single large stone and five had multiple stones impacted in the cystic duct. Nasobiliary drainage tube [NBDT] or stent was applied in patients for preoperative drainage of biliary tree and to prevent acute cholangitis by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography [ERCP]. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was tried in all patients within 3 days after endoscopic intervention. In 6 cases, conversion was done from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy. Conversion was due to fistula in three cases, injury to common bile duct in two cases and bleeding from slipped cystic artery in one case. Mortality was zero. Preoperative endoscopic drainage has many advantages including abortion of endotoxaemia in acute cholangitis, lowering the elevated serum bilirubin, improving the clinical condition of the patient, allowing easy identification of the anatomy of the bile ducts intraoperatively and immediate detection of any injury to bile ducts. The presence of stented bile duct allows for primary closure of the injury