A new mechanical lithotripter for the treatment of large common bile duct stones

A prospective uncontrolled multi-center trial of a prototype mechanical lithotripter was performed in 30 patients with common bile duct calculi. Standard endoscopic sphincterotomy had failed to remove all stones, primarily because of large size (26 patients). Stone size ranged from 13 to 35 mm. Forty-three of 45 stones (97%) were successfully captured, fragmented, and extracted with this newly designed mechanical lithotripter. The overall success rate of 93% using this simple and inexpensive modality compares favorably with other methods under investigation for the treatment of common bile duct stones not amenable to routine endoscopic measures.