[Use of carbon dioxide laser in emergency surgery of the extrahepatic bile ducts]

The principles of surgical techniques of operations with the use of carbon dioxide laser were developed on basis of the authors' personal experience of 8 years in surgical interventions on 65 patients. The stages of the operative approach, cholecystectomy, choledochotomy, +choledocho-duodeno-anastomosis, papillosphincterotomy, and sterilization of the operative wound and intraabdominal abscesses are illustrated by professionally drawn illustration-diagrams. Laser separation of the gallbladder from the liver takes 220 +/- 35 sec, laser hemostasis and cholestasis of the gallbladder bed--245 +/- 40 sec, laser choledochotomy--17 +/- 8 sec, laser duodenotomy--33 +/- 9 sec. No specific complications were encountered after laser interventions.