[Intraoperative choledochoscopy usefulness in the treatment of difficult biliary stones]. / Utilidad de la coledocoscopia transquirúrgica en el tratamiento de litos biliares difíciles.

BACKGROUND: Choledocholithiasis presents in 5-10% of the patients with biliary lithiasis. Numerous treatment algorithms have been considered for this disease, however, up to 10% of these therapeutic procedures may fail. Intraoperative choledochoscopy has become a useful tool in the treatment of patients with difficult-to-manage choledocholithiasis. OBJECTIVES: To determine the usefulness of intraoperative choledochoscopy in the laparoendoscopic treatment of difficult stones that was carried out in our service. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. The case records were reviewed of the patients that underwent intraoperative choledochoscopy during biliary tree exploration plus laparoscopic choledochoduodenal anastomosis within the time frame of March 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012, at the Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González. Transabdominal choledochoscopies were performed with active stone extraction when necessary, followed by peroral choledochoscopies through the recently formed bilioenteric anastomosis. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and measures of central tendency. RESULTS: The mean age was 71 years, 57% of the patients were women, and the ASA III score predominated. Active extraction of stones with 7 to 35mm diameters was carried out in 4 of the cases and the absence of stones in the biliary tract was corroborated in all the patients. The mean surgery duration was 18 minutes (range: 4 to 45min). CONCLUSIONS: Choledochoscopy is a safe and effective minimally invasive procedure for the definitive treatment of difficult stones.

[Anatomic variants of biliary ducts detected by endoscopio colangiography]. / Variantes anatómicas de la vía biliar por colangiografía endoscópica.

INTRODUCTION: The gallbladder and bile ducts originate through a complex process during the 4th gestational week; there is a wide variety in their anatomy. OBJECTIVE: To identify the type, frequency, and association with certain pathologies of anatomic variations of bile ducts in patients in which endoscopic retrograde colangiography (ERC) was performed. METHODS: Six hundred and six patients in whom ERCs were performed from 2005 to 2007 in the Endoscopio Unit at the Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González in Mexico City were included. Variations in bile duct anatomy seen in the X-ray taken during ERC were identified. Demographic characteristics of the patients, indications of the study, complications, treatments, and type of anatomic variant were registered. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the information. X2 and Fisher´s exact test were also performed for the comparison between patients with and without anatomic variations. RESULTS: We identified biliary anatomic variations in 5.1% of patients in the study. Among them, seventy- seven per cent were women, with a mean age of 41 years. The anatomic variation most frequently found was a low union of the cystic duct with the common hepatic duct. The main diagnosis during ERC was choledocholithiasis in 71% of patients. Bile duct injuries were found in only 3.2% of patients with anatomic variations. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomic variations in bile ducts identified by ERC are frequent in Mexican population; nevertheless they were not associated with the occurrence of bile duct injuries.