Laparoscopic choledochoduodenostomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is nowadays a well-established procedure in the management of gallbladder lithiasis. The sutures used in the past only for open surgery are progressively being introduced to laparoscopic procedures. The authors describe 25 cases of choledochoduodenostomy using the laparoscopic route. In 19 patients with choledocholithiasis and a common bile duct of > or = 2 cm, and in 6 cases of obstructive jaundice secondary to advanced unresectable pancreatic neoplasms, the technique produced good results as a permanent solution to the life-threatening problem of common bile duct obstruction. Manual anastomosis and intracorporeal knotting were easily performed and proved to be a safe technique in such cases.