Treatment of postoperative bile-duct residual stones with rigid cholangioscopy / 中国医师进修杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the treatment of postoperative bile-duct residual stones with rigid cholangioscopy. Methods Three hundred and twenty-seven cases of bile duct residual stones were treated with rigid cholangioscopy. As a route for the rigid cholangioscopy, the T-tube tract (315 cases), the U-tube tract (5 cases) and the jejunostomy tube tract of efferent limb (7 cases) were used. Results Four hundred and eighty-six rigid cholangioscopic sessions were carried out, 1.5 sessions on the average for each patient. Treatment was successful in all but one patient in whom rigid cholangioscopic access to bile duct was difficult since the T-tube tract was too long. The rate of complete removal of the stones was 95.4%. There were no serious complications. Conclusions It′s possible to pass the instrument into the common bile duct and the majority of the intrahepatic bile duct. Many of the problems associated with residual stones can be overcome by this method and good results achieved. This technique seems to be a useful new alternative in patients with difficult retained bile duct stones.