Laparoscopic surgery for gallbladder stones

The radical treatment of gallstones consists of removal of the calculi and prevention of their recurrence, and cholecystectomy is at present the common solution. Since Langebuch's first operation in 1882, Calot reporting the first French case in 1889, cholecystectomy has reached a high level of technical perfection. With a small access route and complete exploration of the common bile duct, the results are well known: global mortality is less than 0.1%. Frequently, specialised teams report series of patients under 50 years of age with zero mortality. Are there other techniques that permit the removal of calculi and the removal of the gallbladder with results comparable or better than the classic cholecystectomy? We have perfected an operative technique using laparoscopy that destroys the calculi with an ultrasonic lithotriptor followed by drainage or removal of the gallbladder. Our initial results are favourable.