RESUMEN
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize the experience of surgical treatment of primary hepatolithiasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>To analyze the clinical data, operation choice, postoperative complications of 2465 cases of primary hepatolithiasis retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the patients, 2034 received external drainage (82.5%) and 431 received internal drainage (17.5%) and 586 were performed adjunctive partial hepatectomy (23.8%). The postoperative complications were found in 211 cases (8.6%) and 17 cases (0.7%) died after the operation. One thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven cases (71.7%) have been followed up for 2 to 25 years, among them therapeutic effect of 1518 cases (85.9%) was excellent or good, 315 cases (17.8%) had residual stone and 115 cases (6.5%) recurred.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It could decrease the incidence rate of complications, residual stone and recurrence in the patients with hepatolithiasis after surgical therapy to pinpoint the situs of the lithiasis and biliary stricture and managed properly before the surgery.</p>